What If: ReDux
by KrimzonGuard Bites BaronP
Summary: An ordinary, boring day when the extrordinary, not so boring happens. JakxOC
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys. KGBBP here. With the Jak collection out, its renwed my vigor for the series and I decided to re-read my old fics. While "May It Be" has aged fairly gracefully, "What If" certainly has not. i've improved ten-fold as a writer and wanted to revisit the project- Update it to current standards and correct alot of glaring plotholes that made me want to tear my own eyes out._

_If you read the original "What If" and liked it, you may or may not like this. i can't make any promises as everyone has different opinions._

_My main goals here are to make Sake less Mary Sue, Make the story far less Cliche, make it darker and more accurate to how things would really be.. I certainly hope you find it appealing._

_Re-writing the chapters is a side project to me and is taking a backseat to my other stories which i've got chapters in progress for all the major ones at the moment. so sorry to those realy hoping for updates on those._

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><p>Time had a funny way of being obnoxious quite often. Whether it was being late to a movie with friends or missing the first few minutes of her favorite television series, time was always finding ways of biting her in the ass. Now it was taunting her, seconds ticking by like minutes and minutes crawling by like hours as she eagerly awaited the end of the day. Normally time was irrelevant and when she paid it no heed, time made the habit of flying by leaving her with no time to finish her work. Today however, time was kind of a big deal because it was a Friday and school would end in just five short minutes. She and her neighboring desk-prisoner and best friend Jess- whose full name was Jessica but hated it because it made her sound like a preppy chick so she preferred Jess- would rendezvous with her mother in the school's front parking lot and make way for the near by game store.<p>

Her pencil rapped quickly against the faux wood desk top as she watched the clock. Just a couple more minutes, idly strolling by like they hadn't a care in the world, paying no heed to the fact that she wanted- No, NEEDED them to just hurry up and go by so she could spring into action. After all her things were already packed. Normally the teacher reprimanded any student who dared pack before the bell but it was a Friday and she didn't give assignments over the weekend.

It was like New Years, all eyes watching with held breath as the clock started to tick down to its final seconds. Ten, nine, eight.. Oh man so close. She couldn't contain herself and as the hand struck zero, right on time with the schools time, the bells rang throughout and students exploded from their desk as if fire had been lit beneath them. Sake and Jess both sprung up, bags flung around their shoulders as they were the first of the students to escape their educational imprisonment. Half running, both practically skipped down the front steps of the interior before half-tackling the front doors alongside the other early-birds that made the mad dash.

There it was, their chariot! Well, Maybe a Chevy wasn't much of a chariot but she couldn't care less. Both girls fumbled with the handles on the door, Sake hurdling herself into the front seat- her throne, while Jess gladly climbed in the back seat.

"I certainly hope your excitement didn't effect your school work today." said the driver, a woman roughly 25 years ahead of the girls, medium height in stature with shoulder length black hair. She took the vehicle out of park and cautiously navigated the sea of waiting cars as students poured into them.

"Can't make any promises, Mom." Sake returned, digging something from the center console. The treasure buried beneath was the key to their virtual salvation, forty dollars In cold hard cash that she'd spent the last few weeks doing manual labor for her adoring mother to earn. Allowance was in short supply and boy did her mother make her earn it, not like those stuck up rich snobs that had everything dropped in their laps.

"How about you Jess? Did you manage to contain yourself?" the woman said more into the rear-view mirror than to the blond haired girl behind her.

"I managed pretty well. Sake's the one about to twitch out of her own skin." Jess grinned through lip gloss, brushing a lock of bangs away. She was, by her peer's standards, a punk-rocker. Despite the school making dozens of complaints to her parents about her choice of hair styles, nothing stopped her from cutting it into a faux-hawk that hung in front of her eyes. Then again both girls were far too guilty of buying way too much of their wardrobe from the local alternative style store.

"Hey, take it easy. I've been waiting for this game for months." Sake countered, attempting to defend herself against the barrage of teasing. She was, by most nerd standards, a decent looking girl- Fair in the face, even skin, good figure despite being a heavy gamer(which to this day she hadn't the foggiest idea how she managed to avoid packing on the pounds), but she wasn't winning the school's beauty pageant any time soon, and it wasn't like she wanted to anyways. While Jess kept her hair shockingly short(and bleached), Sake liked it long and dark, bangs long since trained to rest on either side of her eyes so she only had to occasionally move them out of the way.

Their school and favorite game retailer hadn't been too far apart, a couple miles at best and the trio arrived in no time. Sake's mother pulled the car to a stop in an empty parking space before throwing the engine into idle. Just as they had flown out of school, so again did they practically explode out of the car, ignoring bags and other belongings in favor of digital appeasement. A bell rang on the door as they entered.

"Right on time. I'm impressed." A man stood at the counter. Well, not really a man. A boy really, a senior that only did half days. Scott was his name and Sake had to admit he was, kinda cute. "Only took you twelve minutes."

"You were counting? Kinda creepy." Sake fished her pocket for the cash which she had stowed prior to their arrival for safe keeping, counting it to double check.

"Think of it as a record. Also, its forty _plus tax_." He commented, watching as she made heads or tails of the fives, ten, and ones all mixed in. She stared despairingly at the bills, defeated. "Hey don't sweat it. I'll get the rest."

"Ah crap. Are you sure? I can totally bum my mom for a couple extra bucks.." Sake tried to hide the grin as Jess just smirked, staring eagerly at the shiny wall of brand new games behind the glass cases.

"No biggy. I know you've been dying for this game." Then Scott turned and used his magical Key of Power to unlock the case behind him and remove one of the shiny new cases from its row of identical siblings. "Here ya go. One copy of Jak 2." He watched as the girls exchanged a quick grin that threatened to split their faces clean in half before Sake slapped down the dough and half ripped the case from Scott's hands.

"Thanks!" Sake was already halfway out the door before Scott could say 'You're welcome'. He just laughed then turned to Jess.

"She always that way?" he leaned on the counter, fingering the cash before putting it, as well as a few dollars of his own, into the register and closing the drawer.

"Only when its a new game. It'll wear off in a few months once she's over the initial buzz. Anyways she'll have my head if I don't get out there. Later Scott." Jess raised her fist and Scott instinctively returned the favor, pounding knuckles as the two went about their business. The blond left the store, throwing herself into the back seat. To her amazement, Sake had already somehow torn the plastic of the case and was pouring through the usually useless booklet contained within.

Another fifteen minutes had passed and the trio was on the far side of town, stopped in front of a fairly nice home. Jess climbed out, grabbing her bag before saying her goodbyes, though not for long because there was no way she was letting Sake enjoy the game all by herself. Chores had doing and then she'd be back over at the Crazy One's home to enjoy the game alongside her.

The drive home was torture to Sake. Even still she had to wait for Jess to come to her house but neither parent was willing to budge on their typical after school duties- homework, chores, the usual BS, all of which Sake grudgingly did while waiting as impatiently for an expectant father. Finally it was just too much to take. During her time pacing(and subsequently wearing a wedge in the carpet, figuratively), she had transplanted the Holy Grail of satisfaction, the PlayStation, from her own bedroom and its tiny pathetic TV into the living room to connect it to the far larger LCD television. How her mother managed to afford it was beyond her but there weren't debt collectors calling and there was no Italian Mafia parked outside so no fucks were given.

She had grown increasingly impatient and decided that it was in her best interest to just start without Jess. Moments later the disc spun and the screen flashed vivid colors. Sake had foregone the couch in favor of a position on the floor that was likely far too close to the television as opening logos bled into the 'New Game' menu. She bit at her lip impatiently, waiting for the console to process the fury of inputs. They always said technology was fast but she begged to differ and when _time _finally decided to stop dragging itself by again, things loaded and the opening cut-scene began.

Elsewhere, her mother had been dicing meats and vegetables in preparation for that evening's meal. A flash caught her attention and she went to the window to investigate. The day's cloudless sunny sky had dulled and darkened with blue-grey clouds that loomed threateningly overhead. The wind had picked up, blowing in a somewhat cool yet fowl smell and she made haste to shut the window, mourning the loss of the summer's fresh warm air. From her position she could hear voices, conversations, mentions of rift gates and artifacts. Oh how that girl loved her games. Another flash tore across the sky.

"Sake, honey, you might wanna go shut down your computer. We have weather moving in." When she heard no response, she set down the knife and made her way into the living room where Sake sat before the Mind-Melter, half mesmerized by the apparent miracle in front of her. "Sake did you hear me?"

"Yeah, I heard you. Give me a sec, the cut scene's almost over." Sake protested but her mother only stared at the window worriedly.

"I really suggest you go do it now. Pause your game. Actually better yet. Makes sense to turn that off too." She crossed her arms authoritatively and Sake gave a discontented groan before hoisting herself up with the aid of the recliner and coffee table. Before doing so, she paused the game, the screen awash with a vortex of violet, pink and white as the characters trapped within stared in panic, likely at the 'Paused' prompt below. Then she trudged toward the staircase and ascended to her room.

"I'm also going to call Jessica's mom. I don't think its safe to be driving in this weather!" Sake's mother shouted up the stairwell, picking up the wireless receiver and dialing the number. "Yes, Hello, Betty? Yes its me Karen..."

Upstairs Sake was furling her eyebrows impatiently at the computer as it took its sweet _time_ shutting down. The power supply shut off and the monitor went dark and just as she was about to leave, she recalled a friend's instruction to unplug the central tower during a storm. With that done she made haste from the room and down the stairs at a frightening speed before collapsing to her knees in the same spot as before, controller in hand as she mashed the Start button to unpause the game. But when she did so, the Paused prompt vanished and the screen's image changed. The vortex had centered itself on the screen, flowing almost sickeningly. For the first few seconds she thought it might be a part of the animation but when she proceeded to mash the buttons and the game failed to respond, she quickly grew frustrated.

"Mom I think this disc is messed up. We need to take it back and get it replaced or something." Sake shouted, hearing the sound of a phone being hung up. Her mother approached from behind, looking curiously at the screen.

"I told you you should have shut that thing off. This storm looks pretty bad. Weird too, I don't recall there being anything in the news this morning about storms. Oh well that's what we get for living in the south. Cloudy with a chance of Armageddon." She joked. Her mom used that joke a lot. "We'll get it fixed tomorrow. It looks like we're in for a nasty evening."

"Aww man. This sucks. No friend and no game. Heck of a Friday this is turning out to be." Sake grumbled, rising up just enough to crawl forward and reach for the backside of the console. Her mother left the room to continue preparing their dinner, disappointed that she was making so much since their third mouth to feed was going to be MIA that evening.

Outside the storm was beginning to pick up and trees were being blown this way and that. Rain pattered angrily on the roof and windows as violet bolts ripped across the sky threatening to tear it in half.

Sake's thin fingers traced the hard edges of the black rectangle that was the PlayStation and pressed the power switch. It flicked to the other side and in that fraction of a second she yelped, the whole room becoming bright as the sun and all around her suddenly tingled as light poured in through the windows. She yanked her hand back, only realizing a moment later that the device had electrocuted her. At the same time the entire house had gone dark, along with their neighbors' homes as well.

"Son of a... I'll be right back Sake, going to see if I can't trip the breaker." her mother shouted from the kitchen. Then Sake heard the sound of the garage door in the kitchen opening and closing as the beam of a flashlight passed through the house.

A few seconds passed as she nursed her finger, disapproving of the strange tingling sensation that seemed to crawl up and down her arm. The darkness of the home made the sky outside seem marginally brighter but there was no denying that the grey-blue clouds hanging over head were almost scary to behold. Other ill colors had mixed themselves in to the storm above, greens and violets giving the sky a sickly feel.

A sound caught her attention- a low subtle whirring noise like that of a motor or fan. Then she noticed the faint violet light being cast despite the lack of power. She turned back to face the television. The screen was filled still with the violet vortex, bright white at its epicenter. Curiously she stared down at the black box. Its power indication light was on and she reached back cautiously to feel for the power switch. Flicking it back and forth half a dozen times did nothing- the Television, and console, remained on.

She found herself vexed by the image before her. Its swirling void seemed almost inviting and the world around her grow darker. She sat still as a cat, eyes wide and glazing rapidly as she seemed to lose herself into that vortex.

The skies outside were alive with rage as spears of raw energy tore apart the heavens, webbing to and fro like far reaching fingers of some all powerful deity. Then all at once the bolts converged over the roof of the home and Sake shrieked as the television's screen burst forth in a magnificent fiery red ball of glass, pelting her as she felt herself being hurled back by some unknown force. The same force that acted to repel her suddenly yanked her back toward a wildly intense bright glow and it was then that she realized that her body lay still on the floor, glass imbedded in her skin with each wound bleeding profusely. She stared into her own eyes for what felt like an eternity, seeing the life fade.

"Oh god no SAKE!" She hard her mother's voice, shrill and desperate as she turned to face the terrified woman. She crumpled next to her body, tears streaming down her cheeks as the fumbled for the handset on the side table nearby. Sake tried to call out to her mother, but found her voice ineffective against the booming noise around her as everything grew brighter and brighter.

Then, Nothing.

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><p><em>Another reason for altering the story a bit is to finally remove someone from it that really.. has no place being in it now. So now that someone is replaced with another OC.<em>

_Hope you ejoyed Please RnR._

_If you'd like to read the original, its still here in its entirety, just check my profile!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2 following hot on the heels of chapter 1. I've got up through 4 rewritten and am trying to average 2800-3500 words a chapter, over the measly thousand a chapter from the original version. Enjoy chapter 2. Its one of my personal favorites currently._

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><p>She feared the next time that she might open her eyes, confident that she'd be dead. After all she was sure that not only had she just been electrocuted twice, but the television's screen was now in a million shards imbedded deep in her skin. The feeling of weightlessness was overwhelming and she worried that she might actually be dead. It wasn't impossible. Eventually though, she willed herself to open her eyes and inspect her surroundings.<p>

All around her was bright, tints of violet, black, and pink whizzing by as arcs of violet lightning streaked all around. If she had to describe the experience, it was like a roller coaster from hell, the lightning kissing her skin every so often. For a moment she thought she heard voices and turned her head to try and comprehend exactly what was going on. To her left she could see an odd vehicle of sorts, three people with long pointed ears crammed into its front seat. One was a boy with gold and green hair, wearing a blue tunic. Memory served to identify the figure as Jak, and the two next to him as Keira and Samos. Daxter, Jak's furry orange friend was there too and then it dawned on her. This was the opening to Jak 2.

"I want off this thing!" Daxter wailed, holding on for dear life to the front bar of the contraption. Another realization snuck up on her- Everything about this felt and looked all too real. It lacked the carefree exaggeration of the game, cartoony proportions and shimmer of innocence. To simplify it was as if someone had slapped a sopping wet coat of realism over everything. Perhaps what she was seeing and experiencing was nothing more than a glorified dream. After all, she was likely laying in some hospital, being stitched up by a team of doctors and nurses as her mother waited desperately outside for any positive news and all this was just her minds way of coping with the trauma.

Then there were screams, as the contraption was struck by a fairly significant bolt of lightning. It broke apart violently, tossing its riders about. Keira and Samos were immediately thrown aside, Jak making a reach for Daxter to keep him close.

"Find yourself Jak!" Sake heard Samos scream out as everything all around turned white once more, and she closed her eyes to shut it out.

The sky darkened over the stinking streets of a once illustrious city, clouds gathering menacingly before two spots opened and spat out two balls of fiery energy that immediately plunged toward the streets below. The first struck a narrow walkway, the energy dispersing as the two occupants landed, bounced, then slid to a stop. The second sphere of light impacted a few yards away, its passenger hitting the ground hard before rolling to a stop.

Everything tingled and her mind was reeling from the experience. After what felt like an eternity, she was able to heft herself up off the ground and survey her surroundings. It was obviously a city, cold metal walls and floors coated in rust and dirt and all manners of foulness as a sickly breeze bristled against her skin. Around her, people were stopping and staring, faces full of confusion, fear, and curiosity. Off in the distance she could see Jak and Daxter who threw a thick metal pipe to the ground, likely remnants of the device they'd been riding in just moments before. He was screaming about Precursors and their junk, attracting even more attention to themselves.

She pushed past the people to get a better look, fascinated by the fact that she was now, for all intents and purposes, in a dream with one of her favorite characters. When she was only a few yards away, she heard heavy booted footsteps and noticed the platoon of armored soldiers, led by a shorter man with shockingly red-brown hair.

"There he is, move in." ordered the man, hand raised with what looked like a gun and his finger on the trigger, ready to fire. "Step away from the animal!" All of the armored men and the leader lowered their weapons simultaneously, aimed at the heroic duo. Jak's curiosity and charm immediately faded into a sort of childish fear and Daxter grew more frustrated than anything. Sake watched, making her way forward to intervene. Before she could do anything, Daxter paniced and made a break for it, bursting free of the group like a bat out of Hell as the guards disregarded his escape.

"Forget the rat!" the red haired man ordered. His face was gaunt, eyes full of hatred and evil as the corners of his mouth half curled into a sickening grin. "The Baron wants him." A guard raised his gun high, bringing the butt of it down quick and hard against Jak's skull. The boy blacked out instantly, crumpling to the ground and hitting it with a loud smack. Sake took a few steps back as another guard took aim on her.

"Freeze!" He ordered but her mind was reeling and before she could tell her legs to stop, she was running as fast as they'd carry her, feet pounding the cold ground. A bullet or two whizzed past and she zigzagged to dodge. As she glanced back over her shoulder to see if they were giving chase, she ran head long into something big and hard. The force of the impact knocked the breath out of her and she was on the ground, gasping for air as she stared up at whatever she'd run mindlessly into.

Another fully armored man stood before her, gun pointed directly at her as she stared down its barrel. He smirked and seconds later the squadron from before joined him, all aiming at her. She was surrounded with no hope of escape.

"What about this one?" asked one armored man. The red haired men took a moment to survey just what they'd captured exactly. A girl, long black hair, terrified blue eyes. She was young, maybe fifteen or sixteen at best. Her clothing was unlike anything he'd ever seen before- a short black shirt with striped sleeves and some sort of face on the front, and a pair of too-big black pants adorned in metal clips, chains and nonsense.

"Baron never mentioned a girl, but take her anyways. She came through the rift, like the boy." the red haired man watched as a hovering transport crept up to their location, the back hatch opening as two men carried Jak's unconscious body inside. There were several other people inside too, all cuffed with burlap bags over their heads. "Load her up."

As if on cue, another guard raised his gun and before Sake could react, pain webbed out from the back of her head and she hit the ground hard, the world spinning before going dark.

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><p>Once again her concept of time had been diluted. There was no telling how long she'd been unconscious, but right now she had more pressing matters- figuring out exactly where she was, rather than when. Her surroundings were dark, cold, and clammy, minus a strangely warm sensation to her right. Upon investigation she found Jak unconscious next to her, face down on his stomach. This dream was quickly becoming interesting, and strangely drawn out. Then again there was that one time she'd read an article about dreams and how so much more time can pass in one than the time you spend asleep and if she was in a hospital bed recovering, that was bound to be a very long time.<p>

After further searching, it dawned on her that she was in a prison cell, a heavy metal door separating her from the outside world. Metal bars made passage through the small view point in its framework impossible, even for her small stature. The other three walls lacked any means of escape as well. The far wall had a platform upon which sat an old flat dirty mattress with dark stains that Sake didn't even want to ask about. The sheets were thin and frayed along the edges and the pillow was torn on one part with stuffling poking out. Toward the front was a toilet, small and tucked away. The bowl was stained from years of use and the water within wreaked of minerals and waste.

Finally Jak was coming to. He grunted and rose to his knees before turning over and rubbing his face as if to brush away the nightmare. Instinctively he checked the back of his head for blood and found none, only a sore bruise from where his attacker had waylayed him with the rifle's stock. Then he saw that he wasn't alone. A girl he hadn't seen before was present, perched up on her tiptoes in an attempt to see out of the tiny window in the cell's door. He concluded it'd be best to do the same, closing the gap and easily seeing through the window.

Sake half jumped when she felt Jak stop behind her, peering through the window as the green light from outside poured in and cast long dark shadows on his face. Up close it was obvious just how much taller than her he really was, a head at least. His clothing smelled like salt and sand, but the fowl odor of decay and machines quickly whisked it away.

The scene outside their little piece of hell wasn't much prettier. The walls were lined with cells, with the only means of access being a lift system to ensure prisoners wouldn't dare escape even if their cell door had been opened. From what she could see however, their cell had been ground level and it was only a matter of minutes before the sound of foot steps echoed off the cold metal. Four guards and the red haired man from before came to a stop in front of their cell and the door opened.

"Prisoners, step back and turn around." a guard ordered, hands tightening on his weapon as a threat. Sake did as ordered, stepping back before turning. Jak seemed a little overwhelmed but a gun pointed at him was enough persuasion to get his attention and he copied the girl next to him, taking a step back and turning. Almost immediately the two of them were grabbed, hands cuffed as they were pulled from the cell.

"Take them to Prisoner Processing." ordered the red haired man.

"Yes Lieutenant Errol." The guards snapped a quick salute before escorting the pair through a series of confusing dark passages. The more they traveled, the more it dawned on Sake just how many cells there were. Hundreds, maybe a couple thousand. From elsewhere she could make out screams of pain as another prisoner was likely beaten or tortured. Instantly her blood ran cold and she felt the urge to vomit. Now this dream or whatever it was had overstayed its welcome.

They were ushered into a room with equally poor lighting. The floors and walls were tiled, the tiles cracked, chipped, or even missing in some places. Another half dozen people were lined up, some she thought might be from the transport, stripped bare and shivering. Sake realized this room was some sort of crude wash room, and three guards stood aside gripping large hoses, hands on the nozzle release switches.

Jak and Sake were both ordered to strip down, reluctant to do so but both feared being shot or beaten if they failed to comply. Their belongings were confiscated and placed in a bin. A table on the far side of the room had several piles of stacked tan tunics, each numbered. Then once they were all bare, the guards turned on the hoses and blasted all eight people with powerful jets of water. Some shrieked, the force of the water stinging their skin while others tried to shield themselves, Sake included. Then the water stopped and dry powdered soap was thrown onto them.

Sake gagged, some of the powder having found its way into her mouth and she tried in vain to spit the flavor out. All in all they were only given a brief moment to scrub before the hose wielding guards turned the blasts on full force, thankfully long enough for all the soap to be rinsed away. Sake choked back a few tears. What a nightmare and try as she might, she couldn't wake from it and in a matter of minutes the idea of seeing Jak naked had lost its luster because he looked just as ashamed and scared as she did- as everyone there did- stripped of all belongings and even their dignity.

Finally the eight prisoners were ushered toward the back wall where they were given towels to dry off. Afterwords they were ordered to take a prison uniform from the table. Sake was eager to get dressed, as was everyone else. Jak and Sake wasted no time throwing on the uniforms. There wasn't anything spectacular about the clothing. The shirt was sleeveless and long enough to tuck into the pants that were entirely too long on Sake. With everyone dressed, they were once again lined up and inspected. Sake took notice of the number imprinted upon her tunic, 'D305.' Jak's was D306, with the numbers of the others being higher or lower based on the order in which they picked up their new uniform.

"You have all been tried and found guilty of a crime and sentenced to incarceration." began Errol who had joined the guards shortly after they arrived. "You are unfit to be a part of society and as such must be caged like the _animals_ you are."

Sake gritted her teeth. She hadn't done a damn thing wrong and neither had Jak. She swallowed hard and dared herself to speak up. "I haven't done anything. I'm not even supposed to be here!" Seconds later she felt a hard pain on her back as a guard struck her with an electrified stun baton. Errol watched, amused yet unphased by the girl's outburst.

"Each one of you committed one crime or another worth of a life sentencing and as such you will all be staying here for the rest of your miserable lives." Errol approached the group now, arms crossed behind his back as he walked like a peacock strutting its stuff. Sake snarled at the man, as did the other half a dozen inmates on either side of her. He stopped in front of her, inspecting her. She was easily the youngest in the group, aside from Jak. Everyone else looked to be in their late twenties to mid thirties, one even looking a bit older. It was obvious that some of them had indeed committed crimes as their eyes spoke of evil. Others looked just as lost and confused as Sake and Jak.

"Rules are simple. We're in charge. Step out of line and you will know true suffering." The way he emphasized the last part made Sake's stomach flip and she had to swallow to fight back the urge to collapse.

"Any attempts to escape will be dealt with harshly. We have a number of means to punish those that attempt to flee. Solitary confinement, lashings, revocation of free time and food.. I'm sure none of you want that." Errol continued to inspect the new crop of ill-fated men and women. "We don't believe in death as a punishment because each of you owes society your life in exchange for the lives you have taken."

She was being called a killer, a murderer and was being treated like garbage as a result. Why couldn't she wake up. Normally pain was enough to rouse someone from even the deepest sleep but here she was, still trapped in a dream-gone-nightmare.

"Prisoner D303. Step forward." A man stepped forward, slender with dark hair and a beard that reminded Sake of Wolverine. "Name."

"Daren Atar." He swallowed hard, croaking his name out.

"Step back. Prisoner D304, step forward." Daren stepped back and now a woman stepped forward, blond-blue hair pulled back into a pony tail with her bangs hanging lazily infrnot of her eyes in wet clumps. "Name."

"Emma Kelana." Then the woman stepped back, glancing at Sake who was next in line.

"Prisoner D305. Step forward." Errol grinned. His wild stare sent shivers down Sake's spine. The way he looked at her made her blood curdle. He looked ravenous, hungry even. Sake did as told, taking a step forward, hands clenched as she curled her toes. The cool air was starting to nip at her still damp skin and her wet hair clung to her face and neck. "Name."

"Sake Onisai." She swallowed hard, surprised at how little her voice had projected despite her mustering up all her courage to not collapse.

"Step back. Prisoner D306. Step forward. What is your name." Errol watched as Jak took a somewhat proud step forward, chest out as he swallowed hard. Then it dawned on Sake. He was mute. That would complicate things.

Jak looked to each side of himself, wishing that now of all times he had the ability to speak clearly. Words didn't come easy. As a boy he'd never been able to speak well and he was never sure what had paralyzed his vocal cords to begin with. When he didn't answer, Errol grew impatient.

"Name. Now." A guard saddled up next to Errol, electric baton at the ready.

"Jak." He managed to squeak out. It was more of a misguided whisper, topped by a sad wheeze on the long sound in his name. It was obvious Errol didn't find whatever game the boy was playing amusing. Jak tried again, fearing being beaten. "Ja-" He started, but was cut off as Sake blurted something out.

"Jak." she said as the room went silent. Errol glared at her. "His name is Jak.. He's mute." She swallowed, expecting to be hit.

"..I see. Prisoner, Step back." Jak did so and almost immediately Sake was beaten to the ground with the stun baton. "Get up!"

Everything ached as she pushed herself up off the wet floor, legs trembling and threatening to give out. The world was spinning and all eyes were on her. Seconds later Errol stalked up to her, taking her jaw in his hand harshly as he squeezed. Their eyes made contact and she could see all the bad within him.

"You will learn to keep your mouth shut!" Then he yanked his hand hard, pushing her aside and she nearly toppled over again, half falling onto the guard behind her who recoiled by pushing her forward like a sick game of ping pong and she was the ball. She regained her composure and stood still in line. The rest of the prisoners were called forward and each gave their name, then they were shuffled into an adjacent room where several men waited at stations atop which sat several machines.

One by one each prisoner was sat down and the right sides of their neck was tattooed with a strange series of symbols and their number. As the tattoos were completed, an ointment was smeared on to promote proper healing and then the prisoners were cuffed again escorted out of the room by a pair of guards back to their cell.

Sake certainly hadn't imagined her first tattoo would be a prisoner ID tag, especially not in a dream. She and Jak exchanged a quick glance as they were both sat down and the needle was pressed to their necks. She gritted her teeth as her skin was permanently marked with that brand of shame. She was no longer Sake, she was Prisoner D305, cattle and property to a anachronistic society. The process was painful and she couldn't hold back the few tears that had been plaguing her since her arrival in this hell hole. The man performing the tattooing wasn't very kind about it either, making quick careless strokes with the needle gun as he filled in each of the symbols then etched in her prisoner ID. Blood welled up, mixing with the black ink. When all was said and done, he wiped it away and smeared on a coating of the salve.

Hers and Jak's were finished almost simultaneously and they were pulled from the room by four guards and dragged back to their cell. For the time being the two occupied the same cell, for whatever reason. Sake curled up in the corner on the bed while Jak sat on the floor, legs apart and knees up with his back to the wall, just trying to comprehend everything that had happened. They had taken his goggles and as a result his yellow-green hair was allowed to go about its own business.

Both were completely silent, wordless in that small dark space. Sake sobbed in half silence, biting at her lip in an effort to will herself awake. Somewhere in the back of her mind, something was starting to accept that maybe, just maybe this wasn't a dream- that this nightmare was as real as the hair on her head. It was a daunting thought to process.

Finally tears bled into sleep as consciousness faded and she let herself fade into the black.

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><p><em>Hope you enjoyed. please RnR.<em>

_For the original, be sure to check out my profile! Thanks 3_


	3. Chapter 3

_Moving on to 3! Enjoy. :)_

_Also should mention that No copyright infringement is intended. Sake and Jess are (c) me :)_

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><p>The next time she opened her eyes was because of a loud noise. A hatch at the base of the cell's bulkhead slid open and two trays were slipped inside. What passed for a meal was nothing more then tasteless gruel and discolored slop, half cold and fowl-smelling. Jak was already awake, poking at one of the plates before scooping up a dollop of the slop onto one finger and sampling it. Sake could tell by the way his brow furrowed that it wasn't the most appetizing thing in the world but he ate, albeit hesitantly. Then his head snapped around to face her as she sat up and swung her legs off the bench, toes recoiling from the cold floor. A sheet fell from her shoulders. He must've covered her in her sleep, she thought.<p>

Even in the darkness, his eyes seemed to glow with a strange sort of happiness to see her awake. Then he looked at the other plate, lifting it and offering it to her silently. Reluctantly she leaned forward and took the tray. It was old and dented, tarnished from age and dull on all sides to avoid being used as a weapon- at least that's what she told herself. Just as he did, she cautiously dipped her finger into one of the three piles of strange colored chunky paste and sniffed, nose wrinkling as she made an involuntary 'eww' noise. She barely caught Jak's grin and she raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny." She asked, half mocking his inability to respond, but she'd be damned if she wasn't amazed by his effort to the contrary.

"..Nothing." He half croaked out, blinking quickly before swallowing hard. Then he stared up at her again before standing and joining her on the bed. They sat next to each other for what felt like an eternity before he spoke up again. "Um.. Thanks."

"For what?" She didn't make eye contact, only fiddling with the excuse for food they were served rather unceremoniously. Then again this was likely a routine to look forward to.

"For yesterday.." He was slowly making a dent in his meal as well, at least happy that his stomach had something in it after nearly a day of going hungry.

"No it's fine.." She stopped eating and finally dared to look at him. Sure he was young, round eyes speaking of enthusiasm and a craving for adventure. Even as young as he was, she could see scars up and down his arms from where he'd been injured goofing off or fighting lurkers.

"How did you know..." He paused, as if to find the right words and will them out forcefully from within. "That I was mute?" He too stopped eating, taking a moment to seriously analyze the complete stranger next to him.

"A hunch, I guess. Your voice is weak.. A common problem with people who aren't.. really used to talking much." She swallowed, hoping to save herself.

It occurred to her- She'd already been unconscious a number of times and any one of those bouts could have ended with her waking up in an ER recovery room. But the fact was she didn't. The truth of it all was that she was likely stuck in her own head. Even aware of the dream state, nothing she did or thought altered the events occurring and nothing happened in her favor- not the way it would were it a true lucid dream. In the back of her mind she decided to try a little experiment. Here she was, sitting next to Jak, boy wonder of her favorite digital escape in a dark hole all alone. He'd kiss her, that's what he'd do, or so she told herself in the hopes it'd happen and assure that this was indeed a dream.

When Jak simply sat there, making sense of her response, her heart sank- Half because this was all likely real, and half because he really didn't kiss her. Although she had to admit, it was a sad little pipe dream of a single girl with less than supreme self esteem and quickly canned the thought. He seemed to notice the myriad of faces she was making, all of them involuntary. He made a face of his own, a brow raised in confusion.

"Sorry. Just.. a wayward thought." She commented, staring at the chow on her plate. There wasn't much left and slowly she worked at finishing it. Jak half-shrugged and worked on his own, standing and going back to sit on the floor. Such a gentleman, she thought.

Another hour passed and the two were silent once more. Their empty trays were stacked against the metal door. Sake had made a habit of sitting curled up in the corner farthest from the cell door, trying to make herself as small and insignificant as possible while Jak laid on his back, arms crossed behind his head as he pondered the dead light bulb overhead. There was literally nothing else to do but talk and that was something he didn't do much of. It made it even more awkward as his cell mate was a girl, and even more so because she was a complete stranger. For a brief moment he missed Kiera and wondered if she might be safe and sound somewhere.

Then his thoughts wandered to Daxter. How had his furry friend coped with their separation? Had he made it to safety away from the hulking men in bright red armor? He hoped Daxter was safe and swallowed hard to push away the bad thoughts and fears nagging him at the back of his mind.

Just then both Sake and Jak came to attention. Someone was approaching, Multiple someones. By the sounds of it, there were three or four of them. Seconds later the door opened and in stepped Errol. Two guards stood at the ready behind him, guns aimed at the two.

"You, boy. Stand up." Errol ordered and Jak scrambled to his feet, narrowly smashing his own head into a wall. He was immediately grabbed and cuffed, being dragged out of the cell. Sake leapt from the bench and dove for Errol, blind to the fact that she was pathetically incapable of rescuing Jak. When Errol felt her make contact, arms wrapped around his throat, he coughed loudly before spinning around and grabbing at her shoulders with both hands. He pulled hard and she was taken aback by how easily he yanked her free and grounded her. A swift kick to her side made her stay down as she recoiled in pain. "Feisty. Been a long time since I had one quite like you."

Errol then signalled to his men and they began dragging Jak away who was squirming and writhing to break free in the hopes of making the man pay for assaulting a girl. Plus the way he looked at her made him sick to his stomach and filled him with even more rage. One of the guards hit him hard with a right hook to the jaw and he immediately tasted blood. He feared he might be missing a tooth but nothing came loose.

Sake watched helplessly as Jak was dragged away. Errol stood over her and grinned. When the guards were gone he nealt down and pinned her. "Try a stunt like that again and I'll do more than kick you." His voice was like acid and his presence was like Death. Sake shut her eyes and waited until she couldn't feel him over her before she opened her eyes again. He was gone, the cell's door sliding shut. For the first time since her arrival, she was alone and now more than ever she wished she could awaken. She pounded her head with both fists, on her knees as she choked back tears.

"Wake up.. Wake up.. Wake up.. Goddamnit Sake wake up.." She murmured over and over, rocking a little until her head began to hurt. Then she stood and thrust her fists at the wall in violent bursts. Each punch did nothing but scrape and tear at the skin on her knuckles and she wanted to scream. Finally she crumpled to her knees again and curled into a ball.

This couldn't be real. It wasn't humanly possible. Finally she cried herself to sleep once more and her dreams were filled with dark unpleasant thoughts involving Errol. Hours later she snapped awake, drenched in sweat as cold air nipped at her skin.

Swallowing hard, she stood and immediately threw herself forward at the toilet, emptying the contents of her stomach into its murky fowl waters. Over and over her stomach heaved until not even acid remained and she wished she had something to wash away the taste. As she flushed, she prayed Jak was safe. Where had the guards taken him? Cautiously she stood and put an ear to the barred window. Faint screams echoed off the walls. She couldn't tell if they were Jak's or not but whoever it was, they sounded like they were in deep continuous pain. Just like before her blood ran cold and her stomach heaved, bringing up nothing. The screams were like something that belonged in a horror movie- the result of some mad man's wild imagination.

Another hour passed. Or maybe it was two, or even three. Hell If she knew. The door slid open and Jak's limp motionless body was tossed back in. She narrowly avoided being caught in its path as the door was quickly slammed shut before she could protest. There was a long period of uneasy silence before she willed herself to investigate Jak. She feared he might be dead but his eyes were squeezed shut and his mouth was agape as if desperate for air. Kneeling, she placed the back of her hand to her forehead and yanked it back almost instantly.

"Holy hell he's burning up.. Gotta find a way to cool him down." She glanced around, trying to formulate some genius plan to safe his life, if it was even in danger that is. Her first thought was to hoist him up onto the bed. Despite being compact, Jak was surprisingly heavy- at least a hundred and forty, maybe fifty if she had to guess. Finally once he was laying gently on the bed she made a grab for her pant leg, bending over and biting at it to tear the fabric. With some effort it finally gave way and tore around. Then she split it down one side and folded it into a rectangle, regrettably soaking it in the fetid water of the latrine before squeezing out the excess and using it to wipe away the sweat that beaded up on his forehead.

After a few passes, he finally stopped sweating and she draped the wet rag over his forehead after fanning it in the air to cool it off. His skin was pale except for the tips of his ears that burned red. The veins along his neck and wrists seemed unusually dark, pulsing with his heartbeat that was unpleasantly rapid. It was then that Sake noticed his wrists and ankles had been bruised and scraped all the way around so the used her other pantleg to tear into strips to wrap the wounds. It would be several hours before he'd finally come to, eyes opening slowly as he sat up.

Sake had curled up on the floor, in favor of doing so because saddling up next to Jak seemed like a strange combination of embarrassing and awkward, given his stature. From what he could tell, she was asleep and as the rag fell from his forehead, it half startled him. His body ached but not nearly as bad as it had hours before. Even as he hefted himself from the bench, Sake didn't stir and he wondered if they had tortured her too. To his pleasure, she was just sleeping deeply. Perhaps it was best for him to do the same but it somehow felt wrong to exploit the bed when this girl deserved it much more. Damn his chivalrous upbringing.

There was a brief moment of pondering as he decided whether or not to wake her so that she might occupy the cot but concluded he wouldn't since she was resting so peacefully. Something told him that peaceful sleep would be a rare and welcomed commodity in the coming years and if she faced the same fate as him, he'd do whatever it took to make sure she cherished those brief moments of escape. With his mind made up, he laid back down, but not before tossing the sheet over her once more. He curled up, closed his eyes, and drifted into a haunted sleep.

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><p>The next time either of them awoke, food was heaped into two trays and slid in, just as before. A jug of water accompanied it. It didn't take long for both Jak and Sake to realize they were horrendously hungry, each wolfing down the tasteless chunky paste then washing it down with the smallest of sips from the jug. The next few hours were spent conversing as neither could stand the silence any longer. It was unsettling and occasionally they would go deathly silent as pained screams echoed down the halls.<p>

"What did they do to you." Sake asked, staring Jak straight in the eyes. Her seriousness unnerved him and he stared hopelessly at his hands, clenching them while watching his own veins pulse black.

"Dark Eco." he muttered quietly. Her face went grim and she considered heavily what they might be doing injecting Dark Eco into people. "They tied me down.. Put needles in my skin.." Each word he spoke was slow and deliberate, his voice still fairly weak and often raspy as he adjusted to this unfamiliar routine.

Dark Eco. One touch meant death. In more innocent times Sake would spend her days milling about the house playing a variety of games but one she always came back to was the Precursor Legacy- a story of a boy, his friend Daxter, and their adventures to stop two maniacal Sages from destroying the world with Dark Eco. But now.. Somehow these individuals had found a way to harness Eco, molding it into a substance that could be used on test subjects. Dark Eco only had one purpose in life, and that was to twist and mutate all that it came in contact with. No doubt Errol planned to use this to his advantage, but Sake couldn't comprehend its effects on people.

"Think.. they'll do the same to me?" Sake swallowed hard, trying not to think of the possibility. Jak's face was dark and he swallowed.

"I wouldn't be surprised." He said quietly, hands folded into each other as he propped his arms up on his knees. Without warning or time for reaction, the bulkhead slid open and two guards stormed in, restraining Jak almost instantly. He tried to break free but found his strength waning quickly. He still felt dreadfully weak from the events of the day before. Meanwhile two more guards made a grab for Sake who only managed to kick one on the chest before they restrained her.

Jak tried calling out, pulling against his captors but they sent him reeling with a swift blow to his stomach before dropping him. Instantly he crumpled and they left, laughing as the door shut. Jak lamented his inability to save her, not knowing that that would be the last time he'd ever see Sake for quite some time.

Sake wriggled and tugged to and fro against the Guards' hold. Their grip didn't relax in the slightest as they hefted her down a few narrow hallways until they were in a grand chamber. More cells lined its walls as far as she could see up and down before darkness obscured her ability to see. They dragged her to a center platform connected to the main walkway by a narrow strip of concrete. From there the two guards hefted her onto a chair and tied her arms and legs down. One then went behind a console and began pressing buttons and turning knobs.

Above her a machine sprang to life, three prongs rotating as violet sparks danced about. Then a fairly large man approached, red sash draped over his shoulder and a sword holstered at his side. His eyes, though grim and set deep into his skull, spoke of pride and confidence. His brown hair had obviously begun to grey with age and he looked upon her with brown eyes.

"This is the girl you recovered from the rendezvous point?" the man asked. Errol was behind him, but he quickly rushed ahead and circled to the backside of the chair. The second guard stood aside, weapon at the ready. All the while Sake's heart pounded in her chest and she stared fearfully up at the spinning prongs.

"Yes Baron Praxis." Errol seemed strangely subservient to this hulk of a man whose voice spoke of authority and control. Moments later the man came closer as if to inspect.

"She's young." He observed, and for a moment Sake thought there might have been a glimmer of shame in his eyes.

"No younger than the boy, Sir." Errol protested and Praxis gave a small nod.

"Very well then. Carry on. I hope she's more... resilient than the last dozen subjects." Praxis took a position on the far side of the platform, one hand resting on the hilt of his blade while the other came to rest at his side. Errol sneered and the second guard approached. He gripped two leads and at the ends of each were fairly large long needles. Sake panicked and tried to yank herself free of the restraints but they held tightly and the metal dared to cut into her skin. Finally the guard pushed hard enough on her arm that she stopped moving and he slid the needle into her skin. She hissed in pain, half tempted to fire off some sort of explicative at the man but fearing the consequences, she held her breath. The second needle was placed in her other arm just moments later and everyone gravitated away to a safe distance.

"Start the injection cycle." Errol ordered, pointing at the guard behind the console. He nodded in response, raised a red cap and flicked a switch.

A fragment of a millisecond later Sake felt what she would later describe as absolute agony. Every inch burned as her heart raced and the world became a wash of white. As the Eco found its way into her, she screamed at the top of her lungs and twitched violently in the seat, restraints holding her firmly down so that only her hips had room to maneuver. The metal dug into her skin, drawing blood but the sensation was nothing more than an afternoon breeze compared to the fire that flowed through her veins.

Errol, Praxis and the two guards watched, their faces void of emotion or care as they watched Sake's body twitch and writhe as if possessed by a demonic presence. Minutes later Errol gave the signal to shut off the machine and the flow of Eco stopped, the prongs winding down until they came to a stop.

"Dark Eco injection cycle complete. Bio readings Nominal and Unchanged." chimed a feminine voice.

Errol inspected his latest victim. She was breathing heavily, muscles recoiling rapidly as all her nerves twitched. Small sparks of violet danced around her. She wasn't dead and to him that was progress.

Sake's mind was elsewhere, shut down and locked away to hide from the God-awful pain that crawled up and down every inch of her being. She felt cold, alone, and terrified and tears streaked down from the corners of her eyes. She dared open her eyes but the world was blurry and the lights above were blindingly bright, clouded, and unfocused. Someone was standing above her.

"Better than I had anticipated." Errol remarked. The guard who had inserted the needles prior now approached and removed them. The veins along her arms, neck, and legs seemed to flow black.

"But will it work." Praxis asked, approaching to perform his own inspection. He watched as Errol searched for the right words quietly.

"Results with the other successful subjects look promising. Some have already begun to display signs of changing. We simply need to be able to control them." Errol stepped aside and the two guards closed in on the chair. They worked quickly, un-cuffing Sake and hefting her into the air. "Take her to the new cell. We don't want her and that boy getting too friendly and concocting wild escape plans. We'll have enough trouble dealing with them separately as it is."

As Sake was removed from the chair and hauled away, she couldn't help but feel a new presence tingling at the back of her mind. A cold bloodthirsty conviction crawled up her spine as her mind clouded with images of something untamed, beady black eyes staring back at her.

Then, nothing.

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><p><em>Thanks for reading! Please RNR!<em>

_Also you can read the original on my profile!_


	4. Chapter 4

_4 Hot off the presses. Hopy you enjoy cliffies._

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><p>The air around him was cold, the walls and floors doing little to stifle the stark chill that crawled along his skin. His only guess was that it was winter, or at least fall and this was the first chill of the year. He really had no way of telling, and he certainly wasn't sure if his tick marks on the wall were accurate. By his estimate there were easily two years worth, etched into the wall. And time it seen, had done its worst to him. His blond hair had grown long, though it was sometimes trimmed by the prison staff. The once vivid hues of yellow and green had muddied from dirt and malnutrition. With the coming of age came facial hair, and oftentimes it grew in thick dark green locks from his sideburns to his chin, forming an almost pointed goatee. That, too was shaved whenever the Prison thought it prudent to clean them up with their idea of a 'shower', shave, and a new set of rags.<p>

Horrors beyond imagination had become his every day reality, the norm- Wake up, eat a pitiful meal then be dragged off hours later to be subjected to the tortures of Dark Eco. He thought he'd've been used to it by now but each time he found himself strapped down and pumped full of it, it was just as bad as before. It was now a part of him. And when one spent two years being juggled between different cells, there was little to distract him from the pain and inherent depression that accompanied such torture. He tried to cope, sure. He'd sleep, often twelve, even eighteen hours a day but then there came times when he just couldn't sleep anymore so he'd exercise. A thousand pushups, a thousand situps, a thousand pull ups and when he exhausted his usual routine he'd make up new exercises and just repeat those a thousand times or so until every muscle burned and rippled.

Then of course, exercising wasn't enough. He'd try to sleep more, but was often restless. And when he'd go several days without sleep on a meager diet, he'd begin to hear the voices. One voice stood out above all, cold and metallic against his ears as it clawed at his brains. It had cropped up shortly after the beginning of this nightmare and it attempted to make him do terrible things. He sometimes thought about doing those things too- gruesome things, horrible things, _bloody_ things but just before he crossed the threshold into madness, he somehow reclaimed his humanity and pushed back the murderous thoughts of bloodshed and rage.

There was a bang on the cell door. It broke the silence and startled him from his thoughts. He'd already eaten that day so it wasn't food time. That only left one alternative. The door slid open and Errol stood, accompanied by two guards who brandished long stun rods, poised to strike. Jak reluctantly hefted himself from the bench, turned and waited for the guards to slap their restraints onto his wrists. They shackled his feet too- Likely to avoid a repeat of the one time he dared retaliate by nailing a guard in the side of the head with his foot. Then he was escorted down the halls toward his 'throne'. After many years he'd finally memorized the path from his cell block to chair. He'd also taken the time over the last two years to analyze his surroundings, considering all possibilities of escape, and even where _she_ might be held so that he could rescue her too- if she wasn't dead already.

In accordance with the rituals of the last six hundred or so times he'd been strapped down, they quickly bound his legs and wrists after removing the shackles then slid two long needles into either arm. The machine above was already warm and spun up, ready to dispense its highly volatile load. Jak took a deep breath, the last he'd take for a while. He knew the next several minutes would be a living hell and the hours following the injection cycle would be spent writhing in pain on his cot.

Then on cue, the switch was flipped and the torture began as it always had- Violet streaming between the machine and his body in jagged bolts. His chest heaved and his blood boiled. He struggled not to scream but the pain was simply too great. It always seemed to hurt more than the time before. It lasted for what felt like an eternity and just when he felt life slipping from his grasp, the flow stopped and the automated system above confirmed in an almost mocking 'caring' feminen voice.

"Dark Eco Injection cycle complete. Bio readings Nominal and Unchaged."

"Heh- Nothing.. I was informed this one might be- different...!" Growled a booming voice. Jak only registered a few words. Baron Praxis. Dear Mar how he wanted that arrogant bastard to die by his hand, right then and there- consequences be damned.

"He is.. suprisingly resistant to your.. Experiments, Baron Praxis." The second voice paused. Errol, Jak recalled but his thoughts were swimming. White was turning to red and every muscle was beginning to recoil as if in response to something feral within. "I fear the Dark Warrior Program has failed."

Another growl erupted behind him and Jak gritted his teeth, sucking in air sharply as his hair was grabbed harshly from behind. Breath was hot on his ear. "You should at lest be DEAD with all the Dark Eco I've pumped into you..!" Jak struggled to open his eyes and catch a glimpse of the good Baron but his vision refused to stop spinning and flashing brightly.

Above him, the two men were conversing idly, their voices serious and foreboding. Jak felt tired, he wanted to rest but at the same time he knew that was a pipe dream as every nerve in his body was simultaneously firing and his mind was consumed by fog that soon drowned out the conversation around him. He could only make out a few words- Metal heads, the Baron's irritated banter, and fears of losing Haven to the war beyond the walls. One phrase stood out, and his blood ran cold.

"Finish off this.. Thing.. tonight." Praxis gestured to Jak who was struggling to get a proper lungful of air as his muscles recoiled rapidly.

"As you wish.." Errol gave a curt bow to his leader, then stared up at Jak with grotesque hatred and mockery. Firmly grabbing the hem of Jak's tunic, he pulled him up and got within an inch of his face. Jak could faintly smell the man's breath- a combination of rancid food and alcohol though it wasnt blatantly apparent. "I'll be back later." Errol snarled, half dropping, half throwing Jak back onto the chair. Then he pivoted harshly on his heel and stormed off, followed by the three guards that normally liberated him from the chair.

Jak wondered why they had left him there. Not that it mattered. Regardless of where he was, he'd suffer. His head was still pounding and his world was still spinning. And just as he was ready to close his eyes, he heard a voice- familiar yet irritating in some form of fashion.

"Ding ding, Third floor!"

Jak noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, but only an orange blob of color stood out against the gunmetal background dotted occasionally with a blur of yellow-green.

"Body chains, roach food, torture devices!" the voice chimed loudly and Jak felt a thud on his chest. Something had just landed on him. "Hey buddy...!"

Jak wanted to say something- He really did but his throat felt just as paralyzed as it did upon arriving in this hell-hole.

"Seen any heroes around here?" That voice was so familiar.. Like a friend from a distant memory in the past. It reminded him of sand, salt, and the ocean's gentle sound. "Woah, What'd they do to you?"

They tortured him. Messed him up real bad. But it wasn't like he could say it. Suddenly he was growing increasingly angry. The redness overtook him again and he only had one thought. Kill. Baron. Praxis.

"Jak- It's me! Daxter!" Jak heard the voice say but it was becoming distant, as if spoken from a great distance. It echoed and bounced around his skull, lost in the void of rage that was slowly overtaking him. He wasn't sure what face he was making, but it must've been unsatisfactory to the orange blob standing on his chest, "Well THAT'S a fine hello! I've been crawling around in this place, risking my tail- Literally!"

Jak winced as he felt something land rather unceremoniously on his groin. Even amidst the pain, he still had the presence of mind to realize that a swift kick to the balls was still excruciating. "-To save you! I've been lookin' for you for two years!" It was obvious now that the blob was desperate, its voice high and filled with fear, sadness, happiness, and even regret. "Say something, Just this ONCE!"

Praxis. Praxis. Praxis. Baron. Fucking. Praxis. That bastard was going to pay- Jak was going to rip that man limb from limb, skewer him alive, gut the man and paint the world with his blood. Dark thoughts rushed through his mind and he was going to enjoy killing the Baron. Finally he found it in himself to speak clearly.

"I'm gonna KILL PRAXIS." Jak roared at the top of his lungs and his eyes began to haze over with blackness. The blob clamped what he perceived a hand over his mouth, frantic.

"SHHHHH!- Quiet! Right now we gotta get you outta here.. Just let me figure out how to open the security locks on the chair so I-" Daxter froze mid sentence, feeling himself being flung hard, landing on the platform below while watching Jak.

Jak felt a rush of something- Power, blood-thirst, a lust for murder.. It was overwhelming, and dare he say it, a bit exciting in the most feral ways. In the blink of an eye, something primal, buried deep within came to life. His blue eyes faded to blackness, beady and filled with hatred. His skin paled to a ghostly blue-grey while once blond-green hair dulled to a lifeless silver. Thick black talons erupted from his fingertips and a maelstrom of violet lightning danced around him, threatening to claw at anything within range of the now dark beast.

"Or uh.. You could do it.." Daxter murmured, ears flat against his skull as he cowered away. He quickly found himself between a rock and a hard place, heel of one footpaw slipping off the edge of the platform. The orange creature curled his tail and tried to make himself as insignificant, fearing for his life. "Jak.. Easy now- Easy buddy.."

The creature looked upon the orange fuzzy rat with a sick combination of hunger and hatred. Blinded with a murderous rage, it raised both hands and brandished the talons- poised to strike. With a few heavy footsteps, it closed in for the kill and with a defiant roar, raised both hands and brought them in for the kill.

"I-It's your old pal Daxter!" Daxter turned away, arms crossed over his head as he brought one leg up and curled it inward, tail wrapped around his other ankle. Any second he expected to be skewered but felt nothing- instead he heard the tired, almost frightened voice of his friend.

"..Daxter...?" Jak was back, the dark creature that stood in his place just a moment ago now just a memory, yet it lurked in his mind nonetheless, waiting for the next time it could break free and wreak havoc. Jak stumbled, bending low and rubbing his face. He could feel it, cursing him, demanding to be let loose. There was a pause as Daxter struggled to regain his composure and not wet himself in fear. Finally he swallowed the lump in his throat and his usual charm returned.

"What the HECK was that?" The ottsel half-shrieked, placing a comforting paw on Jak's calf. "Sheesh-Remind me not to piss you off.." Daxter could see Jak had been very much worse for wear, and the last two years had been no kinder to him then they had been to himself. Then he eyeballed the bundle of clothes he'd brought along, knowing his pal would prefer a nice change of clothes. He padded over to pick them up. "C'mon tall, dark, and gruesome. We're outta here. Oh also- I uh.. Brought you some new threads. Put 'em on." He lifted the clothing for Jak and he took them, mustering a smile as best he could.

Jak wasted no time in finding a secluded corner, away from the prying eyes of the cells and any possible guard patrols. Then he quickly stripped bare, discarding the rags they called clothing. The new clothing was a bit tight, but it was loose enough in the places that mattered and he wasn't complaining. Once dressed, he took a moment to appreciate not being in his cell or being escorted by a small platoon- Perhaps the best thing was not being tied down to that wretched chair.

"Jak, what's the hold up- lets blow this taco stand." Daxter took his rightful place atop his friend's shoulder, half curled into a ball. The prison gave him the creeps.

"We can't leave yet." Jak said, now looking around to get his bearings. This chamber was annexed to a series of corridors that housed a few cells, and ultimatly lead to cell block D- where he'd been housed for the last two years. But that girl.. He hadn't the foggiest where she'd be now.

"What you wanna leave a 'Jak was here' letter or something? We don't have time for that buddy.." Daxter scanned the area frequently. The only way he'd been able to rescue Jak was because he'd managed to exploit a gap in their patrols. Another was due any minute now and just when he thought he could hear the digital distortion unique to the Guards, Jak took off like a bat out of hell.

He had to find her. He just had to. She'd been the only person he'd met in this prison that wasn't completely fucked in the head. She also stood up for him, and taken a beating for it. Now that he could actually thank her for it properly, he absolutely needed to and he'd repay the favor by freeing her from this living hell.

"Jak are you crazy? The exit's the other way!" Daxter protested, albeit barely above a whisper so as to not draw attention to them.

"Dax I really appreciate you rescuing me but there's someone I have to save." Jak skidded around a corner, then searched for and kind of navigation aid. A sign on the wall infront of him had various text pointing to different hallways. There was one additional wing aside from the lettered ones, labelled Solitary. He slowed to a brisk yet quiet walk, the leather-soled boots Daxter had provided for him working well to dampen his foot steps in contrast to the loud ruckous the boots of the Guards made.

Security was steadily becoming tighter. There was something down in Solitary that the guards did not want escaping. Jak had a pretty good hunch who it was. After all, he lost count of the number of times there had been alarms for a prisoner escape in progress. He'd hear the guards talk about it afterwards, how it was always the girl with the long black hair.

"Are you trying to get us caught?" Daxter half-yelled into Jak's ear but he paid little mind as he rounded a corner. The patrols were spaced evenly enough that he was able to sneak by and into the hallway leading to the Solitary wing.

The wing was unlike anything else he'd seen in the prison. There were only around a dozen cells, all labeled with the ID Number of the prisoner currently occupying them. Each door was easily a foot thick, solid metal with two massive dead bolts secured by electronic locks. His eyes scanned the ID codes one at a time until finally he saw the door that read 'D305'- and at either side of the door stood two guards.

"Sake.." He muttered softly and Daxter only looked at him curiously.

"..Wait. We're rescuing some chick? There'll more time later to pick up dates man!" Daxter glared and Jak half growled back.

"Yes. Now shh.." Jak put a finger infront of his mouth and Daxter nodded. However due to the arrangement of the hallway, there'd be no way to take out the guards without triggering an alarm or having them see him. Then he noticed that ceiling above was lined with thick pipes- perfect to hide on and walk on easily. With the agility of a cat, he leapt against a wall, rebounding before throwing himself up onto the pipes. Mere seconds later a team of guards rounded the corner, none the wiser to his presence.

Slowly he made his way to the end of the wing where he devised a distraction to draw them away from the cell door. An old bolt from one of the pipes would do the trick and after plucking it free, he gently lobbed the piece of debris. The two guards exchanged curious looks before going to investigate. Jak couldn't believe it actually worked and once they had passed below him, he dropped down, landing noiselessly. From his vantage point he could easily eliminate the two guards by smashing their heads together. They crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

"Alright we're clear.." Jak turned to face the cell. It was centered in the back wall and was the only cell that had been guarded at all. Surely there was a reason. He took a moment to analyze the locking mechanism and found some sort of slot in the top of a flat metal panel, and two indicator lights. "Dax, grab that guard's key-card."

"On it." Daxter jumped off, sprinting toward the unconscious guards before plucking both of their security passes from their armor and holding them in his mouth as he sprinted back. Jak took one, slipped it into the slot and the red light faded as the green lit, indicating that the cell door had been unlocked. He stood back and watched as both dead bolts were drawn away to either side, then there came a buzz and a heavy noise as something inside was unlocked. Then the door swung open of its own accord and he stood in awe.

The area inside was pitch black and what little light that poured in fell over a body curled up in the center, half shrouded by his own shadow. The air inside was stagnant and wreaked of decay. It nearly knocked him off his feet but cautiously Jak stepped in to investigate. The hair on Daxter's neck stood on end, everything telling him this was the absolute worst place to be.

Jak stepped aside to let all the light fall on the body on the floor. Immediately his heart leapt and he knealt to get a better look. He carefully moved clumped black hair aside to reveal the individuals face and instantly he could tell it was Sake. He placed a hand in front of her mouth and gritted his teeth when he felt no breath.

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><p><em>Hope you enjoyed, Please RnR!<em>

_For the original, Be sure to check out my profile! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

Hiya folks! Chapter's 5 and 6 coming your way. these've been written for a while now but i've avoided posting them because i feel terrible about not updating my other stories that people have been demanding updates for (I'm so sorry!) I've been trying to make a decent update for Channeler,Conduit but Fuck its proving hard as hell to write and seem /believable/. so, as i work on this, i spit out some updates to WIR. Enjoy :)

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><p>It couldn't be. There was no way. How could she be dead? Not after being such a strong willed individual when he'd first met her. He took a brief moment to assess her condition. What he saw turned his stomach. Even Daxter seemed to pale slightly, deathly silent as he realized the gravity of the situation.<p>

Whatever fat she had before was gone, withered away with time revealing bones with startling definition. Her lips were dry and cracked, scabbed over from where they had bled previously. Her prison uniform had become so tattered and frayed that it did little to cover her body. The lack of cloth revealed a myriad of scars, bruises, lesions and scabs as recently made wounds struggled to heal despite her poor condition. What the hell had they done to her...

He heard a loud clanging noise, and boots against hard floors. Shit-! He must've tripped an alarm. Even if Sake was no longer with them, he'd at least find someplace nice to bury her- it was the decent thing to do. No doubt they'd just throw her corpse into some incinerator or outside the walls for the wild animals to feast on. So cautiously, he hefted her body into the air, startled at how light she was, easily no heavier than eighty or ninety pounds. Then again he'd spent the bulk of the last two years working out nearly every day and that likely contributed to it.

Daxter was glad to be out of that cramped dark space. Now a building wide alarm was blaring and Jak could see faces of men and women in more or less a similar condition to Sake staring out at him from between the bars of their cell doors. Some shouted out, demanding that they be set free, insisting Jak aid in their escape. He paid them no heed, as many were no doubt horribly unstable. Down the hall he ran, immediately dodging right as he retraced his steps back to the main room where Daxter had found him shortly before but he came to a screeching halt as he saw a wall of guards coming from that direction. Immediately he turned and fled the opposite direction.

"Prisoner Escape in Progress. Threat Level Red." The female voice of the prison's automated system said calmly overhead. Now the Prison was in an uproar, Inmates were banging their food trays against the outsides of their cell doors and Guard captains were ordering men to their stations to control the oncoming riot.

Jak had no idea where he was going. But it seemed Daxter did. The normally obnoxious ottsel was dead quiet as if deep in thought. Finally he pointed to a door.

"There!" Daxter shouted, "I spent a lot of time exploring this place. That way leads to some service rooms. More specifically waste disposal." He certainly didn't like the idea of 'waste disposal' and what 'waste' entailed but it was their only option and the only escape route not crawling with Krimzon Guards. Jak nodded and ran full bore for the door, shouldering it as it caved inward while being mindful of the body in his arms and the door bounced off the wall, then immediately closed behind him as they blew through at full speed. Daxter indicated another turn, then a door on Jak's left.

The door didn't budge first time, and Jak cursed lightly under his breath, setting Sake's body on the ground gently before making a grab for the door's handle. It didn't budge still so he backed up, raised his foot and kicked as hard as he possibly could. Immediately the door's frame splintered and one of the hinges even threatened to shear off its support. A few people inside, civilians from the looks of it, shrieked and Jak paid them no mind as he lifted Sake's body and Daxter pointed him to a large tube and a hatch.

"That drops right down into a reservoir." Daxter helped Jak get the door open and the civilians fled when they witnessed a talking animal opening a fairly complicated set of latches. He half laughed, but was still very serious. Jak peered down inside once the door was open. It was just barely big enough for him to fit, even holding Sake so he began to heft himself into the opening. From what he could see it was a straight drop for a yard or so before it curved.

"There he is, OPEN FIRE!" A guard in the doorway shouted and several piled in, beginning to shoot wildly in Jak's general direction. His eyes went wide and without hesitation, threw himself blindly into the dark tube. His arm burned and he knew instantly he'd been shot but that only nagged at him momentarily as he felt himself become weightless for a moment as gravity did its job. Then he impacted the bend and began to slide. Behind him he could hear bullets ricocheting off the metal, and the guard captain demanding to know where the tube let out at.

A few twists and turns later and Jak was soon free of the suffocatingly small space, plunged into the fairly clear water below. Silently both Jak and Daxter were thankful that the stench in the air was livable and the water didn't leave them covered in a nasty film of brown. When he landed, he'd done his best to keep Sake above water as much as possible and set her up on the metal platform before pulling himself out. Daxter was already hard at work ringing his fur out, poised on all fours before shaking his body back and forth like a crocadog.

"Jak, Up there. Do you see what I see?" Daxter pointed to an indent on the far wall into which was set a slatted vent cover, too high to jump to but there were several boxes scattered throughout the area. Dim light streamed in through the grate but there was a clear unmistakable image of dull dark blue sky and the faint glimmer of stars. The smell that wafted in was not much better than the one their current environment gave off but Jak could detect the subtle scents of fresh air mixed in, rich with the odor of plant life. He never knew freedom could _smell_ this good.

"I sure do. Hold on while I make an escape route." Jak left Sake's body where it lay, and he failed to notice her chest rise then fall briefly. He put all his weight against a massive crate then pushed and it slid fairly easily across the floor. He repeated this process once more with a set that were double stacked until they were lined up with the grate. It would be a small climb but he'd make it easily. After retrieving Sake's body, he scaled the boxes and quickly kicked the metal grate out of its frame. It flew out and down, clanging loudly against the ground below and Jak almost felt dizzy staring down. It was easily a three story drop and it'd hurt but that was the price to pay for freedom. So, he cradled Sake close and Daxter instinctively held on for dear life as Jak hoisted himself out of the window.

Hitting the ground didn't hurt as much as he thought it would, Sure it made his bones ache but nothing broke and that was a plus. Sake was no worse for wear and for that he was thankful. Daxter was grinning from ear to ear and he was happy to breath in two full lungs of the only slightly more fresh air.

"We're free Jak, thanks to me!" Daxter cooed.

"Thanks Dax, but I don't think we're out of the frying pan yet." He was staring thoughtfully down at Sake. She'd never once moved in all this and he was becoming convinced that she might actually be dead. The thought made his heart sank.

Jak walked on, cradling her close. Up ahead he could see an elderly man with a young green-haired boy at his feet. There were many other people too, all walking slowly and without purpose or direction, heads hung between their shoulders in obvious dismay. Many wore tattered and stained clothing, shoes with worn soles and the entire district wreaked of decay and waste. Jak quickly concluded that really, conditions beyond the walls of the Prison weren't much better. At least being in prison meant food every day, albeit discolored tasteless slop.

Jak was coming to pass the elderly man now and as much as he would have liked to move on unnoticed, that was not the case as the man called out to him.

"H-Hello strangers!" He called out, old voice withered and somewhat scratchy with age. "My name is Kor." Jak could see a strange sense of desperation in the man's eyes, and hear the urgency in his voice. He gritted his teeth- he didn't have time for this, not with a potentially dead girl in his arms whom he needed to bury decently. Maybe he could scare the old man off, but he admittedly had questions.

"You look like a reasonably smart man." Jak stalked forward, trying his best to seem imposing but failing due to his arms being preoccupied. The old man recoiled and took a step back, fearing that he had potentially angered the younger individual. "I want information. Where the hell am I?" Daxter leaped from his friend's shoulder, landing near the green-haired child.

"Eer—uh, Sorry, he's new to the whole.. 'conversation' thing." Daxter leaned away as the boy attempted to reach out and pet him, and the kid noticed his obvious hesitance, pulling his hand away in fear before taking a step toward Kor and grabbing helplessly onto his pale blue-grey robes.

"Well my.. Angry young friend... You are a 'guest' of his 'Majesty', Baron Praxis- The ruler of 'glorious' Haven City." The old man answered, dusting his robes subconsciously. His face twisted into one of disgust as he heavily emphasized several words, as if to mock their meaning.

"I was just a 'guest' in the good Baron's prison." Jak retorted, unknowingly clutching Sake's body in closer. The man watched closely, seeming to inspect her curiously.

"Inside a cell, or inside the city- Walls surround us both. We are all his prisoners." His face was awash with dismay, and the same desperation Jak had seen moments before. Then the old man turned and seemed taken aback. From their vantage point, they could easily make out the shapes of half a dozen armored men approaching, their red armor gleaming in the pale yellow light of the street lamps above. They moved quickly and with purpose, shoulders up and out as they moved with a strange sense of pride. Jak immediately went on the defensive, yet remained inactive for fear of inciting another alarm. "Oh dear.. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I'd move on if I were you.."

"By order of his Eminence, the Grand Protector of Haven City, Baron Praxis- Everyone in this section is hereby under arrest for suspicion of harboring underground fugitives." The guard obviously had no idea who Jak was, and he was thankful. But, the blond knew they'd have a fight on their hands in mere seconds, as the Krimzon Guard never did anything peacefully. He moved to set Sake's body down and he noticed a guard watching him suspiciously. Daxter of course felt the hair on his neck stand on end.

"Surrender and DIE!" yelled the third guard. Daxter froze, taking a step forward, paws in the air.

"Uhh Excuse me sir- Don't you mean Surrender OR die?"

"Not in this city!" the old man gasped out, nearly tripping over his own robes as he backed away. "Protect us from these guards and I'll introduce you to someone who can help you!" He quickly ushered the boy with him and they backed away a good distance. Daxter took his place on Jak's shoulder and the duo quickly dove into the fray.

Jak's first pounded into the first guard's face, sending him to the ground as the second two raised their batons. Jak dodge quickly below a prong of electricity that threatened to stop him cold, turning on his hands and sweeping his legs beneath both guards who both toppled like mighty giants. A small group of reinforcements were already closing in and Jak sprang to his feet, allowing his legs to arch high in the air, catching the first of the squad in the flurry of kicks. He toppled back into a guard behind him and there was a brief moment of confusion as they worked to untangle themselves. Behind him, the first three guards Jak had downed were recovering and he doubled back to deal swift blows to each. They hit the ground hard, unconscious and maybe even dead. Jak couldn't care less.

Overhead, a massive transport moved into position and the back hatch opened. Guards poured out, all cocking their weapons as they primed themselves for the ensuing battle. Now it was one on twelve, and the Guards allowed their overconfidence to blind them.

Jak felt his body suddenly go hot as fire and as the guards circled like vultures, something within him was clawing its way out. He was losing the internal battle and finally the entity within broke free. Jak's skin paled, fingernails grew into razor sharp black claws and his eyes clouded black, glistening and beady. Two thick black horns now grew from a mane of untamed silver-grey hair, hardly contained by his goggles and bandanna. Violet arcs of lightning danced around the thing like marionettes. Now the dark beast belted out a defiant roar, leaping a great distance toward one of the guards in a fit of blind rage.

The guard screamed in agony as his insides were quickly liberated from his stomach, metal armor no more effective than paper-machet at stopping the creature's clawed hand from doing its worst. One down, eleven to go. Then he leapt to the next, landing on his hands before hurling himself at the man and pushing him hard into the uneven ground. His skull smashed against the stone and he slumped, dead.

One by one, each guard fell- some to gruesome violent deaths while others found themselves face to face with the compacted pavement until only two remained. They shared a quick glance of desperation and dropped their weapons, turning and running full speed in the opposite direction, screaming the entire time about a monster and 'not being paid enough'. The creature roared in their direction, face twisted into an beastly snarl with its eyes narrowed. But, it was obviously tired, panting heavily as its chest heaved and it shook its head. All at once the color returned to Jak's skin and hair as the horns and claws became nothing but a memory.

As Jak returned to himself, he gawked at the blood and his stomach lurched at the sight of the bodies torn asunder. The area around them was deathly vacant of people, likely scared off by.. whatever had just occurred. Everything hurt, and his veins were on fire. He clenched his fists a few times, hoping to reassure himself that he was really the one pulling all the strings.

"Woah, That was cool- Do it again!" Daxter shouted.

"Something's.. Happening to me... Something.. he did- I-I can't control it." Jak gritted out, jaws clenched tightly as he narrowed his eyes. Now the pain was starting to subside and cautiously the old man and boy approached. Daxter was grinning, oddly enough as he was seemingly unphased by the slaughter fest that had occurred mere moments before. However he could see that Jak was suffering internally and laid a reassuring paw on his friends leg.

"Very impressive.." Kor commented, hand stroking idly at his long silver-white beard as he analyzed the surprising young man before him. "Hmm, What you just did was very brave... This child is important." He gestured to the small boy who nervously folded his hands together. Daxter closed in and looked him over once more.

"This kid?" Daxter turned to either side and the boy recoiled, raising one leg and his arms as if to shield himself from some assault. "Hmm, he looks kinda scruffy."

"Thank you for your help.. But I must get this boy to safety.." Kor was turning away now, preparing to leave. Jak was too preoccupied to press the issue regarding that 'someone who could help them', but Daxter was on the ball.

"HEY- What about us?" Daxter gestured, then crossed his arms defiantly.

"There is an underground group waging war against Baron Praxis. Its leader, the Shadow could use fighters like you." He was turning to leave now and reluctantly the child followed. "Go to the slums.. Fine a dead end alley near the city wall. Ask for torn.. He can help you." Just as quickly as the man had entered Jak and Daxter's lives, so he had left, leaving behind the bloodshed that surrounded Jak.

With the old man gone and the alley abandoned, Jak worked quickly to concoct a safe quick way to get Sake someplace safe. He could see at the end of the alley that there was an opening, and parked at the end was a fairly wide-bodied vehicle. In many ways it reminded the blond of the Zoomer Kiera had made back home. It hovered effortlessly above the ground, yet was unoccupied and seemingly off.

"Dax, stay here, watch Sake. I'll be right back." Jak insisted, turning and taking off at a light jog, stepping aside to avoid a fairly disturbing trail of intestines. Upon reaching the vehicle, he was quite pleased that the vehicle required no actual keys, just an ignition switch which he turned and the twin engines roared to life. After a few seconds of figuring out the controls, he was able to propel himself back in the direction were Daxter and Sake were. The ottsel leaped up into the vehicle as Jak dismounted and worked to lift Sake's body and place it gently in the other seat. As he climbed back in, he flicked a switch and the vehicle rose to match the altitude of the other Zoomers at the end of the alley.

Just then he heard something- a faint noise.. breathing, and even a gentle whisper.

"You came.." Jak's eyes immediately focused on Sake and he could see now that she was breathing! Immediately he felt a renewed vigor overtake him and with it, a new purpose- to get her someplace safe where she could get medical attention. Daxter noticed Jak's strange new enthusiasm and mustered a smile- he was glad to see his friend so full of energy- the two brutal years in prison doing little to stifle his young spirit.

For now the triage made their way out of the alley and into the flows of traffic. They were free, Sake was alive, and Jak was going to kill the Baron. Finally things were looking up.

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><p>If you're interested in the original, check my profile! And as always, PLEASE PLEASE RNR. Comments are my FUEL :)<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

This is easily one of my favorite chapters so far. I had alot of fun writing it. And it shows, being nearly 4,000 words without this author's commentary :P It's a little angsty but i gotta keep the emotions true to the original! :)

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><p>Just as the old man said he would, Jak soon found himself face to face with a rather upset blond haired woman who seemed less than pleased to see a complete stranger, especially a kid, in the alley. However she certainly didn't fit the name 'Torn' and certainly wasn't a man. Jak glanced back nervously at Sake's unconscious body in the zoomer before peering at the individual behind the girl.<p>

"We're looking for Torn. Kor sent us." Jak said, immediately disregarding the woman who stepped aside.

A man approached, red-brown hair bound in tightly woven dreadlocks. He was thin and wiry, but looked as if he could easily carry his own weight and handle himself in a fight. His face was firm, dark eyes sunk deep into his skull and his chin looked chiseled from stone. His face was adorned in a vast number of faded black decorative tattoos originating from his forehead before spreading out like a digital sunburst. He spared no time in invading Jak's comfort zone, placing himself well inside the young man's personal bubble. Jak leaned back, but didn't back up. "Um.. Are you—Torn?"

"Maybe this guy's a mute- like you used to be." Daxter temporarily broke the tension and the red-haired man seemed taken aback by a talking animal. It was startling, but hardly derailing.

"New faces make me nervous." The man gritted out, words carrying a bite to them. His probative gaze bored into Jak and he struggled to keep his composure. "Word is, you're out to join the fight for the city.." Immediately the man, whom Jak was certain was Torn, began to circle, hands resting at his side as he seemingly sized up the kid before him. Jak just stared, keeping eye contact. "You know, Picking the wrong side could be... Unhealthy." Torn closed the gap, once again putting a mere inch or two between himself and Jak.

"We want to see the Shadow." Jak ordered, refusing to be put off by an angry man with a death wish. The man snorted back laughter.

"Not likely. If you wanna join something, why don't you and your PET.." He gestured to Daxter who muffled a growl. "-go join a circus.." He was walking away as if to leave the trouble twins where they stood, but pivoted on his heel and unsheathed a fairly large curved dagger. It glistened brightly in the light above, edge razor-sharp. "Unless you've got the _fur_ for a really tough task." He ran his thumb along the edge, testing its quality. "Steal the Baron's banner from the top of the Ruined Tower and bring it back to me. Then.. Maybe we'll talk." Daxter was almost entranced by the way he tossed the blade carelessly into the air, scattering light before Torn caught it effortlessly mid-rotation.

His introduction to the tattooed wonder left a bitter taste in his mouth and Jak furrowed his brow to toss the feelings aside. For now he had one final pressing matter- What to do about Sake. He couldn't leave her in the vehicle, and he couldn't take her on their little adventure. His only hope was that the Underground might shelter her until he could find someplace more suitable.

"I'll do it. But.." Jak could already see Torn was going to regret the next words out of his mouth but he continued anyways. "I have someone with me.. A girl. She's in bad shape. Can she stay here until I find someplace for us?" He tried not to show the complete stranger the fact that he cared about her, and worried for her safety, fearing he might exploit it.

"Do we look like a daycare?" Torn retorted as he sheathed the blade then crossed his arms. "Or a hotel?"

"Its only until I come back." Jak countered, half snarling. "I don't have any other choice."

"Fine. She can stay here for a night. But, we'll see if you come back alive." Torn sneered then gestured to a wall behind him. It was painted with a green and black shield and a dagger. The wall slid aside. "Take her inside and put her on one of the beds. Then go get me my damn flag."

Jak was already in the process of lifting Sake, carrying her into the narrow stairwell that was hidden behind the faux wall. Several bunks lined either side of the interior and he laid her on one closest to the furnace on the left side. Then he hightailed it, not wanting to overstay his welcome. Torn watched the blond teen and his orange rat climb into the double-seater they arrived in and take off. Heh. Kids. Think they can waltz into any place they please and demand to be given the best treatment.

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><p>If she had to compare the feeling to anything, she'd say it was dizzying, like being strapped to an underwater roller coaster in space. All around her was dark and only an invisible source of light cast a faint glow down upon her. She was moving, she could tell. There was a faint smell with a hint of salt and the ocean but maybe that was just her mind playing tricks. She didn't know where she was being taken to but she felt no pain and perhaps, just maybe she was being taken away from that dreadfully dismal hell hole she had called home for the last two years.<p>

For the first time in two years, she felt genuine comfort. Wherever she was, it was warm and all around her was soft. The pain that normally clouded her mind and the fatigue that normally immobilized her was beginning to fade and her mind could finally function unimpeded. It was a welcomed sensation.

Somehow, she felt she wasn't alone. There were.. people, and voices. Foggy and muffled but just clear enough to understand.

"Oh dear.. She's dreadfully weak. Where did you find her again?" Male, gritty, possibly an older man, Not the same as the one she heard just a little while before.

"I didn't find her. Some blond haired kid brought her in here." Male, still rough but younger.. She recognized this voice from before. Torn, she thinks.

"It's a miracle she's even alive.. This tattoo, I've seen one like it before."

"D..305. I saw them too, a few years ago. Its a Prisoner ID tag."

"Hmm.. Do you smell that..?"

"..Yeah.. I remember smelling it when I was a guard. Sedatives. We used them to calm hostile prisoners."

"And from the looks of it, she's been subjected to high doses for quite some time.. It will take a while to detox her. Help me gather supplies."

"Wait we're going to help her? I knew I shouldn't have let the kid bring her here. Anyways It's been over an hour. I better go make sure that idiot hasn't gotten himself killed." There was a heavy noise, like stone sliding against stone.

"Whatever you say. Fine, Tess, Could you please come help me?"

"Mhmm. What is it you need?" A new voice now, a woman. Her voice was high but sweet in a sugary way without sounding young. It was comforting. Then she felt a soft hand on her forehead.

"Hang in there, young lady. We'll get you fixed up.."

The stranger's tone of voice was relaxing and reassuring, completely opposite of the aggression she had become so accustomed to. Blatant disregard for her well being was replaced with compassion and finally she was someplace safe. Oh how tired she was, and she could sleep peacefully without fear. So with her mind wandering to the first pleasant thoughts she had had in two years, she drifted back into an easy sleep.

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><p>Torn never liked the areas beyond the walls. It was far too quiet and it made him horribly uneasy. And more oft then naught they were crawling with metal heads and other wildlife that had since taken up residence after the civilians of Haven had abandoned it. But for now the coast was relatively clear. In the distance he could see the tower and much to his amazement, the young man nearing its apex. The concrete platforms that encircled the old tower crumbled as he jumped from each to the next, using an old banner pole to swing and hurl himself to the platform where the prize stood, lazily blowing in the ruin's fowl air. Its corners had long since been shredded from years of exposure to the great outdoors.<p>

He watched with amusement as the kid took hold of the banner's pole and yanked it free from the cracked stonework then slammed it down triumphantly. As he did so, the thin floor beneath crumbled away and the boy tried in vein to reach safety before he was left completely hung out to dry. Then he plummeted a story before landing in an old awning spanned between two support struts. The fabric nearly gave way to his weight but it rebounded and flung him high into the air. The orange animal fell too, hitting the awning and bouncing near instantly. Meanwhile the blond kid landed gracefully on a thin metal wire and began grinding down it like he'd done it before- Torn had to admit, THAT was impressive, and highly amusing.

Daxter wailed loudly as he felt himself weightless and unable to maneuver in time to avoid the metal wire spanning the watery depths below. He collided groin first, the wire stretching a split second before hurling him higher in the air. Jak had already expertly dismounted the wire, flipping head over heels mid-air before landing on one knee and standing. Daxter was hot on his heels, impacting the soft moist sand face first and kicking up a cloud of sand that peppered both Jak and Torn.

Torn watched in awe and Jak turned to see what made the normally collected man gape in shock. The tower was literally falling apart. Chunks of walls spider-webbed with vast cracks and pieces separated from the building. It was a cascading failure, starting at the top where Jak and Daxter had stood mere seconds before. As debris fell onto the floors beneath, the structure's integrity quickly failed and the whole thing came crashing down in a glorious cloud of destruction.

"...Yeah... I guess you guys are in." That was all Torn could say and Jak helped Daxter to his shoulder before grinning widely. It seemed they'd fit in very well here...

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><p>Once back in the city, Jak and Torn went seperate ways to avoid being seen together. That didn't mean that Jak took his time however. He rushed back to the hideout, astounded that Torn had arrived before him and was already hard at work coordinating their next move. Sake was nowhere to be seen. Daxter took the time to be obnoxious- he was great at that. The ottsel dove from Jak's shoulder and pranced over to a large pipe coming from the wall that drained into a water basin, the inside bone dry.<p>

"Whoo! Bein' a BIG hero sure makes you thirsty!" He then yanked on the massive lever and the pipes gargled before spitting out a thick brown sludge. Torn growled but struggled to stifle a grin as it blasted Daxter full on. The ottsel turned before coughing up the putrid smelling crap. He worked hard to get rid of the taste, wiping his tongue on his own fur which amazingly was an improvement over the taste of sewage.

"The Baron turned off all the water to the slums." Torn glared at nothing in particular, hoping that whatever crossed his gaze would shrivel up and die. "He's willing to sacrifice _innocent lives_ just to destroy the Underground." There was a sense of guilt in his voice, and the words carried a weight that pressed heavily on Jak. "I shouldn't be suprised- I've seen his evil before, while serving in the Krimzon Guard." Torn paused, contemplating the ground. "That's why I quit."

"YOU were a Krimzon Guard?" Jak stated the obvious, rather loudly he might add. "Hmph- Uh-Well that explains your charming sense of humor." Jak grinned and Daxter choked back a laugh. Both went silent though as Torn's death-glare persisted, threatening to kill Jak where he stood.

"My friend in the guard tells me the valve to turn the water back on is located outside the city- At the Pumping Station."

Jak's stomach flipped. "Outside the city? What about the security walls?" He crossed his arms and Daxter butted in.

"What about the METAL HEADS? It ain't no pettin' zoo out there! Peeps been getting' deep six'd!" Daxter crossed his arms, clarifying little.

"Find a large drain pipe in the north wall. It'll take you outside the city to the Pumping Station. Get to the main valve and open it. If you survive, the slums will be indebted to you. If not.." Torn paused to add effect and he watched Jak's face go dark. "Maybe we'll have a touching moment of silence in your honor." He cocked a sly grin and Jak was quickly learning that this was a signature of his. Cocky bastard. Daxter wrinkled his brow.

"I'd like to give him a 'touching moment'.." The ottsel did his best to resist the urge to slap the shit out of the Painted fence post of a man, leaping up onto Jak's shoulder. They weren't ready to leave yet however.

"I don't see Sake. Where is she?" Jak took another moment to scan the room. There weren't even signs that Sake had been laying in that bed nearest to the furnace at all.

"She was moved to a back bedroom. We've got her on a Green Eco drip and some pain meds." Torn's expression was aloof and Jak wondered how bad it really was. "She's back there but don't get comfortable. We need that water back on." Jak followed as Torn pushed off from his desk and escorted Jak back to a curtain covering a narrow hallway. They made their way past a few rooms, then finally to one toward the end.

"If it was my decision, she'd still be up front. We don't have the resources to spend on complete strangers. We can barely treat our own men." Torn growled but Jak shrugged it off. The man had a valid point. When Torn opened the door, Jak subconsciously sucked in air and bit his lower lip. He wasn't sure what to expect. Time seemed to slow as the door opened and he could see the shape of someone beneath the sheets of the bed against the far wall. The room was dimly lit by a lightbulb overhead that flickered every few minutes.

Much to his surprise, Sake was sleeping peacefully. Her eyes were closed and her mouth open slightly as she breathed slowly and deeply. Everything about her spoke of peace.

"There's something else." Torn gestured to Sake as he leaned against the doorframe. "The Shadow says she's lucky to be alive. He wagers she'd've been dead in the next several hours if you hadn't brought her here. We're having to do a rapid detox."

"A rapid detox-What's that?" Jak swallowed hard. He was going to rip Errol to shreds.

"My guess is, they've been spiking her food and water with sedatives. Was she a violent or rebellious type?"

"Neither, really. Only knew her for a couple days before they seperated us, but she was never one for rules." Jak's mind went back to those first days, to the showers and to the time they spent being branded as dead. "How long?" Jak looked at Torn who raised an eyebrow. "-How long would you say they were drugging her?"

"Shadow wagers two years. There's such large concentrations of it. I'll be amazed if she doesn't come out of it with horrible complications."

Jak pondered stepping in and making sure she was truly comfortable but there was a mission that needed doing and slums to save. Without water, they were as good as dead. He breathed in deeply then sighed, turning and leaving the doorway. Torn watched him go, glanced back at the sleeping girl, then closed the door as he left too. Jak was already on his way out of the safe house and Torn hoped he wasn't sending the boy into a meat grinder. After all, it seemed like Jak was the only person who cared if the girl lived or died and part of him wanted to make sure she lived. Her death would likely mean losing Jak and he'd be lying if he wasn't already convinced that the kid was a valuable asset to the Underground's efforts.

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><p>While sleep had come easy to her, restful dreaming did not. It didn't take long for her thoughts to be consumed by nightmares and in the blink of an eye she startled awake and bolted up- already pale skin even paler as she breathed heavily. She swallowed, head jerking side to side as she worked to get a grasp on where she was. Then she glanced down, horrified at the sight of a plastic tube tipped with a needle inserted into her forearm. Quickly she made a grab for the fabric holding it in place and worked to knots.<p>

"Hey, hey whoa, don't take those out!" Someone yelled, but Sake ignored it. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her wrist that she froze solid, blue eyes locking gazes with a matching pair of cerulean eyes. It was a girl, with bright yellow-gold hair and a gentle face.

"What's going on. Where am I. Where's Jak." Sake sputtered, desperately trying to refrain from pushing the stranger aside, disconnecting herself from the lead and making a break for it.

"Calm down. You're somewhere safe." The girl began. She was slowly untying the cloth bandage for Sake who was somewhat surprised to see her doing so. "Jak, the boy who brought you here? He's gone right now.. Torn has him doing a mission."

"Safe. How do I know its safe." Sake recoiled, gritting her teeth as the needle was removed. Quickly the girl placed the cloth bandage back over the puncture mark. It only bled a little. Sake finally took a moment to see exactly what the lead was connected to. Off to her left was a small side table, atop which sat a bowl that the lead was connected to. It had a liquid of some kind, clear with a faint gentle green glow.

"You're in a safe house with the Underground. We're the good guys." The girl gave a big smile and stood up. "What's your name?"

"D305-.." Sake paused, then swallowed. No- that wasn't right. "I mean Sake." She worked hard to muster a faint smile, and the stranger seemed satisfied.

"I'm Tess. Thirsty?" Tess was already making her way toward a doorway, and Sake could see a tiled wall, like a bathroom. "That is, if the water's back on yet." Sake listened closely and she could hear the sound of a squeaky faucet then a rush of water. Moments later Tess returned with a metal cup filled to the brim with fresh water. "Guess Jak succeeded. I imagine he'll be back soon then." It elated Sake to hear that. After all it'd be the first time she'd get to see him since their separation two years prior.

"Thank you.." Sake gingerly took the glass from Tess, sniffing before wrapping her lips around the rim and taking a long swig, gulping it down until the cup was bone dry. Subconsciously she waited for the dizzying sensation of the sedatives the guards normally laced her canteen with but it never came. "What's that though?" She pointed to the bowl with the faint green glow.

"Its a deluded water and green eco mix, along with some pain killers. It seems to be helping." Tess took the bowl and a few more things off the side table and handled each accordingly- disposing of trash and storing a few bottles, one of which filled with an even brighter green concoction. Indeed Sake did feel significantly better than she ever had in a very long time and a renewed energy now filled her- but there was still one thing she wanted more than anything else-

"Is there.. anywhere I can take a shower?" Sake gripped loosely at the sheets draped over her legs and she feared being told no. Tess nodded however and walked over, offering a hand.

"We've got a small washroom. There's no privacy but, it works in a pinch if you have to get clean fast." Tess helped her to her feet and it was then that Sake realized that she was horribly weak and unstable. She tried numerous times in vein to walk on her own but each time she'd begin listing to one side, Tess would be there to catch her. They left what Sake perceived as a bedroom and made their way toward another doorway that was wider than the others. The floor and walls inside were tiled and it wasn't much bigger than her old bedroom back home. A thick concrete wall separated the doorway from actually having a full view of the room unless one went around it. Three pipes came from the floor, anchored to the wall with thin metal straps before arching and widening into a perforated shower-head. Midway up the pipe were two valves. The feel of the washroom was reminiscent of the one in the prison and that unnerved her a little but there were no guards, no other shivering naked prisoners, and no Errol. This might as well have been heaven.

"This one's hot, and that's cold. But the temperatures aren't regulated very well. I'll go find you a change of clothes from some of my old things." Tess watched quietly as Sake had already begun stripping away the tattered prison uniform. The sad excuse for a tunic was no more than shredded rags and as Sake pulled it over her head, her hair fell to either side of her and Tess took a moment to soak in the horrors before her.

The girl's back was completely covered in waxy pink scar tissue, spanning nearly every inch in lines that went in all directions. She'd recognize whip marks anywhere. Many of the scars were old and dull, while several others seemed quite fresh- within the last few months easily. Her body was also peppered with bruises, lesions and sores and Tess fought hard not to look away. It was painful to look at and she could barely fathom the torture this girl had endured at the hand of their 'benevolent' leader Baron Praxis and his fine upstanding militant force.

Where there weren't scars or cuts, there was deathly pale skin void of life and long shadows fell from the ridges formed by Sake's bones. Ribs, hips, shoulder blades, her spine- it was all clearly visible. Beaten, tortured, and starved. It seemed life in the Haven Prison was a living nightmare. Death for any inmate would have been preferable to whatever horrors they would've been subjected to.

Sake removed the ruined pants now. Her legs were much of the same- cuts, bruises, scarring from old to new. Tess finally turned and left, in shock at what she witnessed. The Shadow was right- It was a miracle she was even alive- a blessing from Mar himself for sure.

Sake was alone now, basking silently in the flows of hot water. Steam rose around her and soon the walls were fogged with condensation. For an eternity she stood, just letting the water wash over her as she leaned against the wall face first for support. Then she crumpled to her knees and arched her head high, eyes squeezed shut as tears welled up in the corners and mixed with the deluge from above. For the first time, they weren't tears of despair, they were tears of happiness.

"It's over.. It's finally over..."

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><p>If you're interested in the original, check my profile. And as always, please RNR! Comments are my SOURCE OF POOWWWAAAHHHHH *sunglasses*<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Chapter seven ready, adding 8 at the same time too. Two big things i'm 'fixing' from the first rendition of this story, the romance arc will progress much more slowly, and Sake's powers will be adjusted to be a bit more unique without being OP. Mind you the powers bit isnt really important until later. I figured i'd just warn you.**

**Either way, please enjoy :)**

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><p>Tess stepped out of the washroom and made her way down the hall to another room off to the side. She'd been with the Underground resistance for so long now that she managed to earn private quarters. It also helped that she was female, cute, and exposed to constant harassment from the men. So when she confronted Torn on the matter, he was reluctant but obliged.<p>

The room was admittedly small, but it was roomy enough to have what mattered- A bed with space enough for just one person(Or two if you cuddled up reaaallly close, but that wasn't her cup of joe), A desk for her to sort documents and work through her tasks for the Underground such as compiling supply routes and aiding Torn in securing reliable lines of communication, and a large wooden trunk that had been worn down through the years. Getting on her knees, she reached into a hidden compartment on the bed's frame and removed a small golden key which she then used to unlock the chest. It's lid lifted with a click and she opened it.

Inside were a collection of things- valuables, clothes, personal belongings; Pretty much anything she wanted to keep safe. Just because it was the Underground, it didn't mean that everyone had a heart of gold. She rummaged through the stuff inside and eventually found some older clothing that she hadn't really fit into well for several years. In Haven you rarely threw anything away because it was all you had and replacements were hard to come by. Besides it meant having things to pass on to those less fortunate and in Haven, there were a lot of very unfortunate people.

The outfit she had selected was simple. A soft ruffled red blouse, a long-sleeved black over shirt combined with a black leather under-bust corset, and a pair of dark pants. She knew that the young lady would need more support and protection, especially since she was confident that Torn would find a way of suckering her into working for the Underground. After all he'd been hospitable, albeit grudgingly toward her so she owed them and he liked to collect- slowly. So she dug further and found a pair of brown leather chaps and some boots that had loose-fitting leather that strapped around the knee- Sort of like the pair she almost always wore already. Content with her findings, she closed the lid and it automatically locked again. She hid the key again before closing the door behind her as she left.

The girl, Sake, was where Tess had left her just a few minutes before, standing motionless in the shower. If she had to guess, that was the first shower the girl had had since being thrown in prison and she didn't blame her for likely using far more than her share of hot water. The interior of the washroom had steamed up considerably and the dingy tiles filmed over with moisture as trails formed when there wasn't enough surface to support the water that beaded up.

Tess watched her for a bit longer, admittedly feeling quite sorry for the girl. She couldn't be but a few years younger than herself. She was gently soaking her hair now, using the crude bar of soap from one of the sinks nearby. Tess noticed that Sake was having visible difficulty.

"Would you like some help?" Tess offered, placing the clothing and boots in a neat pile on a bench to the left of the entrance. Sake jumped, pivoting quickly before calming down. "Oh my apologies- I didn't mean to startle you." Tess said with a little chuckle. Sake cracked a weak smile.

"Its fine- Just a little jumpy, I guess." Sake didn't answer Tess' question so Tess volunteered herself, kneeling behind Sake and using the bar to saturate her long ebony hair with the cleansing suds.

Both were quiet as Tess worked to gently untangle knot after knot that riddled her oily, dirt caked hair. It was a slow going process and when she was done, she stood and smiled. "When you're done, use one of those towels to dry off then try on these clothes. They're some of my old things, I hope they fit well enough." Sake nodded gently as she watched Tess turn and leave.

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><p>Sake observed her form briefly in the old grimy mirror that hung from the wall in the washroom. It was cracked, skewing the image but it was more than effective at providing a closer look at her now-clothed figure. Tess was right, the clothing wasn't a perfect fit. The pants were a size too big, but the belt she provided did just fine at suspending them. The shirt was loose, same with the corset, and the red blouse normally meant to accentuate a woman's 'figure' seemed to engulf her chest. There were footsteps and Tess came in once again.<p>

"Just thought I'd check up on you. How do they fit?" Tess smiled, one hand on her hip as she leaned to one side. Sake blushed inwardly but smiled back. "A little loose, but I figure with time you'll fill them out nicely. Just need to get a few good meals in you. But c'mon outside, Jak's back." She watched as Sake's face lit up.

As they left the washroom, Sake could already hear voices. She only recognized one, the older more gravelly voice. She knew that was Torn, but only by name and voice. She had no face to match it to. The other was quite low too, but not gravelly. The speaker's tone was very demanding and aggressive. Tess led her to the curtain before pushing it aside and gesturing Sake through and she did so cautiously. Two men and an orange furry creature were huddled around a central table. They were discussing something that seemed quite important.

"...We've done what you've asked." The younger man said. Sake immediately noticed his hair was a bright yellow-green. That was, beyond the shadow of a doubt, Jak. And of course, who could forget his short furry Ottsel companion, Daxter. "Now when do we see the Shadow." Jak crossed his arms impatiently and Sake suddenly felt that maybe talking to him wasn't such a good idea. He seemed to have gained quite a few edges to his personality since they had met two years prior. Tess noticed and patted her on the shoulder, hoping to reassure her that Jak was mostly harmless.

"When I say so-" The other man, Torn, which Sake assumed through the process of elimination, glared at the blond and the orange animal who glared back. "-IF I say so. But before I even THINK about it, I want you to take out an ammo dump we've ID'd in the fortress." The red haired man circled a location on a map with his finger, looking over his shoulder at Jak as he circled around to get a better look.

"Krimzon Guards, constant patrols- We KNOW its vulnerable." Torn paused again. This was obviously a signature of his. "And the Underground needs you to blow up all the ammo inside." The man flung his right hand outward as if to gesture toward nothing and inadvertantly struck Daxter, whom had just climbed up onto the table not seconds before to sneak a better peak. He slid back, rubbing his head in annoyance. "Get all of it, and we'll deal a body blow to the Baron." Daxter finally stood, shoulders slumped.

"You're sending us in, 'tough guy'- So what's with this 'We'll deal a body blow' stuff?" Daxter protested, earning a snarl from the tattooed leader. Jak slammed his fist onto the table, startling everyone, if only for a second.

"That's fine- I want the Baron to know that it's ME whose hurting him." The look in Jak's eyes was one of blood-thirst mixed with sheer hatred. If Torn's constitution was any weaker, he might've frozen from the ice in the boy's veins.

It was then that Jak turned only slightly, feeling eyes on him from somewhere else in the room. Instantly he locked gazes with a matching pair of vivid blues and felt his heart stop for a brief moment. Remembering to breathe, he took a step or two in Sake's direction and she did the same, her hands folded nervously in front of her. Suddenly the tension in the room was thick enough to slice with a butter knife.

"Jak-" Sake began, voice soft. She pursed her lips then swallowed. "You seem.. different." She watched as his eyes strayed to the ground and Torn, Daxter and Tess watched quietly.

"Yeah.. " Was all he said, breathy and almost hollow as he mentally reflected. "You're looking well though." He suddenly felt quite awkward, searching for the right words. A smile gently bent the corners of his mouth as he watched Sake grin a little. Then he turned back to Torn. "Hey is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

"Down the hall, door at the end leads to a stairwell up to the roof." Torn remarked and hoisted himself onto the desk as he took a seat. Tess joined him in the main room as Jak and Sake disappeared behind the curtain.

The moment they were out of sight. Sake pivoted sharply and threw her arms around the blonde's chest as she buried her face into his collar. Jak breathed in sharply, startled but otherwise fine. Reluctantly he returned the hug with a gentle pat on her back. He felt her trembling and heard her sniffling.

"I can't believe it- you came for me." She breathed out between little sobs. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. Its not that he didn't feel comfortable- this was just all so sudden and he was never all that great at handling crying girls.

"Hey, relax. It's not a problem." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders as he pried her from his chest. She curled her lips inward, fighting a smile before recoiling as she realized what she'd done just seconds before. "I'm sure you would've done the same for me. Now lets go talk elsewhere. There's a few things to catch up on." Jak gestured down toward the end of the hallway and the two made their way up to the roof of the building.

From behind them, a fuzzy paw let go of the curtain as a smile crossed the Ottsel's lips. It was good to see his friend smile and warm up after what he knew had been the worst two years of his life to date. Though Daxter couldn't help but feel like very soon, Jak's attention would be divided between him and the girl. Sure he was jealous, but for all the right reasons.

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><p>"Hang on- This might be a rough ride." Jak remarked, placing one foot onto a plate before grabbing the handles and throwing his other leg over the zoomer's worn brown leather cushion. It was a single-seater and the only zoomer close enough to.. acquisition without garnering much attention from the locals. Sake boarded cautiously and Daxter clung effortlessly to his friend's broad metal shoulder pauldron. Once situated, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tightly. Jak tensed, "Not so hard- I still have to breath y'know."<p>

With that, the trio started off toward the Fortress. Jak's driving, or 'careening gracelessly in the general direction' as Sake called it, was really really bad. Astronomically bad. Maybe he just wasn't used to having a passenger, or maybe something was wrong with the zoomer- She didn't know. All she knew was that Jak was easily the worst driver. Ever. Of all time.

The Fortress was a facility that was adjacent to and linked with the Prison building. Of course the mere idea of going within five hundred feet of that place made Sake's skin crawl. It was obvious that Jak was apprehensive as well, every muscle going ridged. Daxter's fur prickled, sensing the uneasiness in his companions.

As they drew nearer and nearer to the Fortress, guard patrols nearly quadrupled and Sake feared being recognized. However the Krimzon Guards were no more aware of their existence as they were of the flies feasting on the dead body of a bird on the ground. The streets were packed with both pedestrian traffic and guards while the air was alive with zoomers of all shapes, sizes and colors. Sake noticed that none of the people looked pleased at all. Their faces were void of pleasant emotions entirely. Many of the civilians walked with their heads low and many seemed aimless in their trudge through the littered streets. Amazingly enough, the Fortress was only a matter of miles from where the Underground's hideout was nestled into the space against the city's wall. How it had not been discovered all this time was a mystery to all three of the young would-be adventurers.

Once at the fortress, Jak ditched the stolen zoomer in an alcove next to a condemned house. There was a gap in the patrols and the trio took that opportunity to slip in unnoticed. Even if someone did see them, the oppressed people of Haven couldn't give a yakkow's ass enough to report the trespassers and so their transgression went completely undetected.

As the doors slid open, Sake shuddered at the faint smell of death creeping out from the hallowed metal halls. It was mixed in with the unmistakable odor of fuel and oil, as well as the potent sting of Dark Eco. It was faint and tasted like iron. Jak was deathly quiet as he investigated the inner halls. The passage strait ahead curved up and around some consoles then passed a small flight of stairs but the passage was sealed by an electric fence. The other passage off to his left was void of all obstructions, save for a fairly large tank nestled into the space between them and the passageway. Its engines rumbled low and deep, exhaust sputtering every few cranks as the engine turned over in idle. The front end was equipped with an array of metal spikes for ramming, while its unified spiked rollers acted to move the behemoth. A set of duel guns were mounted atop its massive metal frame that gleamed crimson red in the dim overhead lights.

Jak regarded the tank with caution. Why the Krimzon Guards kept a tank idling at its front door, he couldn't fathom. After all, few individuals were _stupid_ enough to dare invade. Fewer still were skilled enough to avoid the machine should it decide to retaliate. Subconsciously, the trio clung to the far wall and slinked through the doorway leading deeper into the Fortress. The area ahead was nothing but catwalks suspended above an ominous dark void with no bottom in sight. As they passed through the threshold, a female voice blared over the loud speakers and the sirens flared to life as the klaxons wailed.

"Unauthorized use of Fortress Door. Activating Security Tank."

A fraction of a second passed as the tank's once idle engine roared to life and the hulking machine pivoted to give chase. Its automatic cannons cast a vivid red target as it effortlessly followed their every move.

"Zig-Zag! Don't let it lock on!" Jak ordered and they fled as fast as their feet could carry them along the network of catwalks. The tank's tracking overcompensated, targeting reticule locking onto an empty space of wall before firing a series of shots. Each shot fired reverberated in their chests and Jak skidded to a halt just in time, arm out to stop Sake's progression. The tank, realizing it failed to kill its intended targets, disengaged the lock and continued its pursuit. By then the young trouble-makers were already on their way once more. The catwalks curved around, a massive metal gate between them and the tank.

There was a split second when Sake hoped they were safe but the tank rumbled forward and plowed through the gate effortlessly, tossing pieces to and fro like discarded paper in a breeze. The building-wide alert had triggered the laser guided auto-cannons up ahead and they strafed sideways with red beams of light. Sake's chest was already burning from running and having barely enough time to even catch a shower previously, she was hardly strong enough to be out screwing around. She should have been back at the Underground resting as per Tess' recommendations. However Torn, or the 'Tattooed Wonder' as Daxter had nicknamed him, insisted that since she was standing, she was able to fight and she had a debt to pay to the Underground.

Jak effortlessly dodged the sights on the cannons. Sake managed, yet far more recklessly. With the tank still in hot pursuit, they not only had to dodge to and fro to avoid its lock, but also be mindful of the cannons placed at either side of the catwalk. The pathway dodged left up ahead, ending in a short corridor that then turned right in the form of a wide stair well. Jak and Sake made haste to put as much distance between them and the massive killing machine and as they passed through another doorway, it was obvious the tank had lost sight and the gunfire ceased.

Sake nearly doubled over, hands on her knees as she panted, swallowing every few breaths to choke back the thick film of saliva that had formed as a result of the physical exertion. Jak, too, was out of breath, but not nearly as weathered as she was. Within a matter of seconds, he recovered and peered down at the tank's crimson frame through the perforations in the catwalk's floor. Its targeting reticule was still searching actively. He took a moment to consider their escape routes. If they moved from that spot, the tank would find them and shoot them dead. Of course being up on the catwalk made them marginally safer but there was still an awful lot of open air between them and the tank that permitted a clear shot more than once. At the end of the catwalk was a doorway sealed by an electrical fence.

"Only way out is through there." Jak breathed, letting out an exasperated sigh. This mission had quickly turned from a simple smash-and-dash into a real clusterfuck. Oh how he wanted to ring Torn's scrawny neck right now. Oh how easily he could snap the man's spine and drink his bloo-..

Sake watched as Jak's eyes grew dark and his skin paled ever so slightly. Then the blonde squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "You ok?"

"Peachy." He lied.

Once Sake had regained her composure enough to continue on, Jak directed her toward the other end of the corridor. Just as he suspected, they moment they stepped out onto the branch of the catwalk leading to the electric fence, the tank reacquired its target and gave chase. It smashed through the metal grate below just like the first one, sending bits of metal flying. One even clanged loudly against the catwalk, shaking it violently.

There was the sound of a cable snapping and all at once the catwalk bent and caved. Sake slid, unable to find purchase in the catwalk's surface. In an instant, she found herself staring down the barrels of the tank and she could almost feel the red target burning into her as it focused and shrank. There was a click as it locked on.

Without thinking, Sake rolled to one side and flailed to get to her feet. The tank finished its barrage just as she slid to a stop behind a massive metal pillar holding up a spinning contraption above. Jak cursed under his breath and stared angrily at the tank.

"HEY. UP HERE." He shouted, flailing his arms in wide arches as he attempted to gain the tank's attention. However it was intently focused on Sake, firing away at the pillar behind which she hid. Every couple of seconds, she would shimmy in the same direction the tank was driving, always keeping to the opposite side of its firing line.

Yep. She was screwed. She was going to be locked in a stalemate with that tank for the rest of eternity- or until the Guards showed up and hauled their asses back to prison, except this time with some very real charges of trespassing.

Behind her, a feral growl erupted. Then, a bestial roar as something leaped down onto the tank from above. The firing stopped and Sake dared herself to peek out.

The tank had crawled to a stop, guns angled upward in an effort to fire at whatever was now tearing away at its sensors. The creature that had dared assault it was certainly imposing and powerful as it literally ripped the camera away from the tank's chassis to reveal a plethora of wiring inside. Sake watched with a combination of fascination and horror at the sight before her. The creature, resembling Jak, now tore away at the tank's sensitive electronics. Long black claws sliced effortlessly through the wiring while muscles rippled as the creature pulled at the metal plating to delve deeper.

Its hair was silver, glistening in the fluorescent lighting from above. Two ebony horns jutted back and up from its skill while pale grey-blue skin arced with violet lightning. Its eyes were black and emotionless while its face conveyed nothing but hatred for the machine it brutalized. It let out a defiant hiss and Sake noticed Daxter perched atop the creature's shoulder. He was hunched low with his back arched and baring his teeth. She concluded that this creature was indeed Jak and at that realization, she felt a painful twinge in her chest.

She had seen this before, in vivid dreams except it had been her. Suddenly she didn't feel alone in her own skin. Sake choked back the feeling to vomit and took comfort in knowing that the tank's engine puttered to a stop as the tank's guns flopped lifeless with a clang against its hull.

Now the creature looked at her, giving one great leap as it hurled itself from the derelict pile of scrap. It landed a few feet from her and Daxter immediately grew worried that his friend might tear into the girl. But Jak didn't. Instead the color returned to him and the claws and horns became nothing but a memory.

He had trouble reading the expression on Sake's face. She seemed more shocked than terrified which wasn't what he expected at all. Then again, she had been subjected to the same experiments as himself- The chances of her being much like himself were high.

"We should keep moving." He finally said, pushing the events from before aside. She nodded a little, eyes focused on him briefly before the trio carefully maneuvered back up onto the catwalks. Jak then made short work of the power conduits that energized the electric barrier and with the conduits dead, the barrier dissipated with a buzz and they hurried on through before any potential redundancy systems kicked in. Just as quickly as they stormed into the room, they ground to a halt.

Two Krimzon Guards ahead had apparently heard the commotion from their encounter with the tank. A long thin catwalk separated their platform from that of the guards and they were quickly closing in.

"Hands in the air, you are under arrest!" The first called, eyes trained expertly down the sights of his baton-rifle. Jak was unfazed by the guard's idle threat and stormed forward at a stunning speed. With all the efficiency of a fighting master, he downed the first guard in two swift hits before hurling the other over the edge and into the blackness below. The man's scream lasted for several seconds before stopping abruptly as a sickening crunch echoed back up. Daxter cringed.

"Crude, but effective." The ottsel said with an approving smirk and Jak cocked a sly grin toward his friend. Sake regarded the other unconscious, possibly even dead man splayed out across the catwalk as they pushed forward with the mission. Strangely enough, she wasn't the least bit bothered by Jak's homicidal capabilities- They deserved it. However she was quickly realizing that when it came to the fighting, she might as well have been a third wheel. The best she could do for the time being was keep up the pace so as not to drag Jak down as they plowed through the retaliatory forces.

She hadn't noticed until now that every single one of his movements seemed perfectly in check. Each pace was deliberate and vast and with it Jak was able to clear a large amount of ground very quickly. His fighting technique was much the same, fluid yet deadly as each impact carried as much force as humanly possible. Nothing was wasted. Daxter himself seemed to blend with the flurry of fists, his movements and shifting matching in time to perfectly counter-balance Jak. Occasionally the Ottsel would fall out of sync but their years together granted them such a strong bond, they communicated wordlessly to be the most effective team possible.

The path turned this way and that in a mock maze, each path visible from the last through a series of gates much like the ones the tank had plowed through with ease. Each turn brought with it more Guards, but their slow reaction times and bulky armor made it difficult for them to keep pace with Jak who was quickly making short work of their ranks. As each one hit the floor either dead or unconscious, she felt that nagging feeling of uselessness creep up more and more.

They broke free of the maze, only to encounter more resistance. Well, resistance was the wrong word. The guards hardly resisted as each fell one by one. Those that brandished their guns only got off a stray shot or two before they were beaten down or hurled against a wall where they slumped.

Sake made it a habit of give Jak a wide berth during each conflict, choosing to stay as far from the guards as possible, too. It didn't mean the guards avoided her however. Jak caught a quick glimpse of an imposing figure closing in on Sake from behind and as he dolled out the pain, he shouted to her.

"Sake, Behind you!"

Sake instinctively ducked and rolled, the guard's arms catching little more than air. She dodged off to the side just as the guard pivoted to make a grab. Just beyond him stood a pile of crates, against which leaned long solid metal poles roughly half her height in length. As she dove to reach for one, the guard finally caught her foot and started to pull just as her hand wrapped around one of the poles. In a desperate attempt, she rolled and contorted, swinging the pole as hard and fast as she possibly could and it connected with the hulk's head. The force of the impact vibrated up and down the pole and her arms tingled.

His grip laxed and immediately she stumbled to her feet with the pipe at the ready like a batter on the home plate. The guard, though dazed, stood and barreled toward her. With a side step and another wide swing, she managed to hit the man again. He tumbled and Sake didn't hold back. Again and again she raised her arms, the pole ringing loudly with each hit as her arms started to burn. As she brought her arms up for another blow, Jak caught her wrists. It was enough to break her concentration.

She was panting. Thin streaks of red lined the walls, floor, pole and her. She quickly stared at the pole in shock and dropped it abruptly and it clanged loudly. Staring at her hands, which had managed to become smeared with the man's blood, she watched with horror as the blood trickled down her fingers. The man wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. The goggles over his eyes had been shattered, the contours of his face deformed. She watched as the life drained from his eyes.

She had killed a man.

As that revelation sunk in, Jak pulled urgently at her shoulders in an effort to shake her stupor but she stood resolute. All around her seemed to vanish into blackness and she stared at the crimson as it rolled down her fingers and pooled in her palms. There was a deafening noise in her ears as she felt her senses cloud.

She wanted it.

She had killed a man and she _enjoyed_ it. And by God if that didn't terrify her and excite her in the most feral ways all at the same time. Subconsciously she bit at her lower lip.

Suddenly she was violently shaken from her dazed state. All at once the world reformed around her and she was staring at Jak who was shouting her name. With a shake of her head, she blinked away the last of the dazed feeling.

She had killed a man.

_**And it was the most horrifying thing she had ever done.**_

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><p><strong>an: Thanks for reading! If you're interested in the original, check my profile!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here's chapter 8! I had alot of fun writing this, and 9 too. I'll upload 9 and 10 as a pair once i've got 10 written and revised. Hope you've all been enjoying this so far!**

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><p>"C'mon, lets get going." Jak urged and Sake followed before casting one glance back at the corpse of the man she had just beaten to death. She was shaken, and an uneasiness was threatening to make her vomit but she fought the urge. By now they had come upon a dead end, the door leading deeper into the compound locked. Their only way to proceed was a grate in the floor which Jak tested. It wasn't latched in place and with a tug, it pulled it to the side. "Down here."<p>

It let out onto a lower level and more catwalks. There were faint voices and sounds of movement coming from one direction while the other was completely silent. Quietly the band of misfits made their way along the catwalks until they came upon an incline, at the end of which was a set of doors that slid open without a sound as they approached. Bingo, the ammo dump.

Torn was right. The Guard had stockpiled enough munitions in this bay alone to burn down half the city. Off to the right was a few stacked barrels marked with the Baron's insignia. There was a small square device sitting on the top of one of the barrels and Jak took it.

"Cool! That's a security pass!" Daxter cooed happily, tail swaying side to side quickly. "We need those to get through city checkpoints!" The ottsel watched as Jak pocketed the security pass and suddenly the group froze at the sound of metal scraping against metal. With a finger to his lip, Jak signaled that they all go prone and they watched the action beneath unfold.

A handful of Krimzon Guards were maneuvering palettes of barrels all marked with the Baron's emblem via forklift, placing them in front of a large drain pipe. Two massive tiger-like creatures that Sake had never seen before peered out of the pipe. Their bodies were grey and speckled with black and they were adorned in several pieces of metal and strange tubing that seemed to be infused into their skin. One let out a hiss and the other growled low.

"These barrels are the latest shipment of Eco. The Baron says take them and get out." The lead guard said, fingering the trigger to his baton-rifle. Then as one of the creatures jumped up onto a pipe, the guards startled and raised their weapons, cocked and ready to fire.

"Metal heads in the city...?" Jak breathed softly. He turned to look at Daxter who raised an eyebrow. "Why are the guards giving them eco-"

A click, hum, then a buzz. There was a roar of engines. Shit! Jak grabbed Daxter by the ruff of his neck as Sake scrambled to her feet. Both scattered in either direction, the tank opting to target Jak as it began to roll forward. This tank managed to lock on much more quickly, Red Eco charged rounds kissing the ground where Jak had been just milliseconds before. He was running as hard and fast as he could manage, dodging around a large metal tube connected to one of the containment depots. The tank opened fire, its rounds ripping straight through the computers and sensitive equipment that monitored and stabilized the stash of volatile materials. The klaxons overhead cried out as yet another building-wide alarm was triggered but this one was a warning to evacuate. The chemicals scattered around were rapidly becoming unstable.

"Get the tank to shoot the ammo!" Jak barked over the roar of fire, gunfire and the tank's engines. The idea of playing hookey with bullets scared the daylights out of her but Jak had a point. The tank wasn't programmed to practice discretion with its shots. Instead it fired blindly at any place where Jak had been standing. Being slow moving, she was able to sprint into its line of fire before waving frantically. It locked on almost immediately and she dove away to avoid being perforated like Swiss cheese. Over half the ammo was on fire now and the alarms were shrieking like phantoms as the loudspeakers ordered all facility staff to evacuate immediately.

Daxter yelped as a single round from the tank blazed past his ear, carving straight through the skin and fur. It was only a nick but sonnovabitch did it sting. An emergency exit had opened on the far side of the room and Jak made a beeline towards it while urging Sake to do the same. Only one last coolant tube remained and as the tank's gunfire pierced it, the speakers overhead blared out warnings of an imminent facility failure and that a detonation was entirely guaranteed. Now Jak and Sake ran with all their might.

The explosion could be seen for miles. It wasn't so much damaging as it was just loud and big. Black smoke billowed as the shock wave threw the trio clean from the safety of the stairwell that crawled down the backside of the Fortress. Jak landed hard, save for a soft spot beneath his butt and Sake bounced then slid through the dirt a few feet passed Jak. Immediately the blond took to searching for his orange-coated friend. The soft spot beneath him shifted and protested before Daxter pulled himself free as he gasped for fresh air.

"This place has too much excitement!" Daxter panted as he worked further to emancipate himself from beneath Jak's weight. "We need to move back to the country..!" Jak couldn't help but crack a smile, but it quickly faded when he noticed Sake groggily rising to a sitting position. He rose, arm out as Daxter leapt up to his rightful throne.

"THERE THEY ARE, MOVE IN!" A guard shouted as a group of five rounded a corner. Sake shrieked loudly and rose to her feet in a fragment of a second. Another single-seater zoomer had been parked nearby and she dashed for it, throwing her weight onto it. Jak closed the gap.

"Let me drive!" He demanded. She popped his hand away.

"No time, GET ON." She finally located the ignition mechanism and engaged the engine while Jak reluctantly climbed on and swallowed nervously before wrapping just one arm around her waist. The zoomer turned over instantly and she revved the engines. "Besides, I used to drive my dad's Suzuki back home!" Jak assumed a 'Suzuki' was some kind of zoomer as he hadn't heard the name before. To Sake, the controls were much the same-Throttle, Breaks, steering, accelerator. She rammed her foot onto the pedal and the zoomer lurched forward at a breakneck speed. Daxter screeched and clung to Jak's shoulder for dear life.

Sake had no idea how to change hover zones, not that it mattered. They were on the ground where she wanted to be. Indeed it was much like driving a crotch rocket back home, though Sake reflected briefly that she only ever drove it around her street a few times when her mother wasn't home. If her old lady had found out, she'd've never heard the end of it. Unlike the bike which had great traction, this thing was like driving on ice. It only took two turns before she found the threshold to turn before it was too late to compensate and they were blazing through the narrow corridors at top speeds effortlessly. People dove out of the way as the screamed at them to move.

A Krimzon Guard zoomer was giving chase and even though the Hellcat was incredibly fast, it was far too wide and cumbersome to navigate some of the narrow alleys and streets that Sake turned down. It didn't take long for them to lose their tail completely and once she couldn't hear guards in pursuit, she slipped into a dark corridor between two buildings and killed the engines.

She was panting. Her heart was racing. She hadn't realized how tightly she'd been gripping the handlebars until her hands throbbed painfully with cramps. But goddamn that was fun as hell. She let out an exasperated laugh only to burst into a fit of the giggles. Jak seemed far less amused.

"I'm never letting you drive again." He protested flatly, only then realizing that he'd wrapped both arms around the girl's waist to keep himself from being thrown off. She noticed at that exact moment too and fell dead silent. Both of them flushed red and Jak cleared his throat. He quickly withdrew his arms before sliding off the back of the zoomer. She climbed off as well and did her best to act nonchalant.

"Right, like you're any better." She countered. They were leaving the alley now. It was only then that Sake realized- She had absolutely no fucking idea where they'd wound up. Jak was already evaluating the environment in question.

"Smell that?" His neck was bent and his nose raised to the air. Daxter was taking a wiff too. Sake tried, gagging.

"Smells like sewage. This place wreaks but I don't remember it smelling this bad." She said, fingers pinching her nostrils shut. Jak was leading the way now, walking with a brisk pace that she struggled to keep up with.

"We're near the water slums." He affirmed.

Sake suddenly froze. There was a peculiar low hum, one continuous monotonous tone that reverberated in her skull. There was nothing within range that could be making such a unique, _attractive_ sound. "..Please tell me I'm not the only one hearing that."

"Hearing what?" Daxter perked, ears like radar as they searched for the wayward sound. "I don't hear nothin'."

"I hear it." Jak said, turning to face the streets that led into the water slums. Daxter was perturbed, crossing his arms defiantly.

"It feels like its-"

"-Calling me." Jak finished her sentence and the two shared a strange, almost knowing gaze.

Daxter waved a paw in front of both their faces, hoping to snap them out of their strange trance. They fell into an even gait and entered the water slums. The water progressively grew more murky as the trio approached the city's massive walls. The craggy and creaking wooden walkways jagged this way and that, most branches ending in dead ends or buildings with lights in the windows but they didn't stop at any of them. Finally the pathway opened up and the amount of huts became far less abundant. One particularly large hut sat nestled in the far north-eastern corner and seemed rather well taken care of. Its docks were relatively flat, and its stone and wooden walls weren't falling apart like many of the other structures. Even its sheet-metal roof lacked the layers of rust that turned everything else a garish brown-red.

The trio stopped just before the door that slid open without provocation. The scent of wax and sulphur creeped out, inviting as they stepped in. Then the door slid shut behind them and they beheld a wonder.

Sitting before them was a massive rounded statue that resembled the bust of a man. The room was almost literally paved with candles and old wax that drooled down in bulbous spires. Instead of a humanoid face, the statue had a large pointed 'beak' like a mosquito and two large glowing domed eyes. Another source of light was nestled beneath its beak.

Then, _it spoke._

All three nearly jumped out of their skin, or fur in Daxter's case; but Jak and Sake approached curiously, seemingly entranced by the beautiful blue glow coming from its massive, almost judgmental domed eyes.

"Greetings Great Warrior" It began. The voice was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, syllables almost deafening. "I sense there is a dark rage burning within you.."

Jak swallowed hard, and something within stirred as if summoned. The blond bit his lip to fight it back.

"...And in time it will destroy you with its madness. Only the last power of the Precursors can save you.." The statue went on to say and Sake took a step closer to the statue. An uneasiness crawled up from her stomach and she shuffled nervously on her feet. She didn't know why she felt so on edge but she did. The statue spoke still, "Destroy my enemies- Those creatures you call the Metal Heads. Bring to me, their Skull Gems and I will teach you to control these powers."

The room fell deathly quiet. Occasionally a candle would crackle. Outside, there was the sound of a passing zoomer. Low, heavy, slow- A Hellcat. But they were safe inside, the Guard completely unaware of their presence. They waited, wondering if the statue had anything else to say. It was silent and finally Jak turned to leave.

Jak was halfway through the door when he turned to look back at Sake who was still cemented firmly in her place. "Sake, c'mon." He waved a hand but she turned slowly, glancing at him briefly only to turn back and face the statue. He shrugged, and took another step out when his bones rattled at the sound of the Statue speaking once more.

"Sake," It began, addressing her clearly by name. She made an audible noise of surprise and took another step closer. "You do not belong here."

Its words were plain and simple, and carried with them a crushing weight that slapped Sake hard.

"You were NOT supposed to be here." Its voice shook the building and a few of the candles fluttered, some even going out. "Your knowledge of the possibilities to come will be your downfall- you must not interfere with his destiny.."

Jak was eyeing Sake curiously now, brow drawn in close as he squinted. The statue's once subtle blue glow was now vivid, almost blinding. He watched her closely now, she seemed scared, even lost.

"But-.." A pause as the light dimmed some. "Because you have also felt the touch of Darkness, I will grant you the same offer... Become the harbinger of our salvation, and I may yet be able to save you as well.."

All was silent once more. The noise ceased and for once the trio felt alone. Sake folded her arms over her chest, staring at the ground. It knew. Then again how could it not. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she swiveled sharply to meet Jak's probing blue gaze.

"Sake, what's it talking about-" His words trailed and she turned away to break the uneasiness before making her way to the door.

"Can't really.. talk about it. I hope you'll understand Jak." She whispered and then was gone. Jak immediately gave chase but upon exiting the hut, she was nowhere in sight.

From around a corner, Sake watched Jak don a zoomer and speed off into the distance. Things were about to get dicey and If what little she knew about the 'future' were to actually come true, it'd mean that she could easily change the course of history. She had come to accept more than a year ago that whatever this was, this place, the pain, the torture, the sights, smells and sounds- It was all very real. She'd already experienced dozens of events that would've woken anyone else under normal circumstances, had this been a mere dream but that was not the case and here she was- still trapped in fantasy-gone-nightmare.

Once Jak was out of sight, she requisitioned a parked one-seater from an alcove along the docks and merged with the slow moving traffic, making a bee-line for the Underground's headquarters for some much deserved RnR. The Oracle's message played over and over in her mind.

An hour meandered by and over the course of which, she had found her way back to the Hideout after a few wrong turns. One of the other members was securing a box wrapped in brown paper to the back end of a one seated zoomer with a long rope and a few bungee cords. Neither regarded the other with any sort of interest as Sake made her way down into the bowels of the Hideout where Torn was already hard at work briefing the Renegade on his next mission.

"We saw something odd while torching that ammo-" Jak rattled off as Sake closed the gap, coming to stand next to him. He regarded her passively, crossing his arms. "The Baron's guards were giving barrels filled with Eco, to a group of Metal Heads!" Torn spun on his heels, face twisting into one of curiosity and worry.

"...Really?.. The Shadow will be _very _interested to hear that..."

"You know so far your gigs have been easier than stealing grass from a sleeping yakkow!" Daxter retorted, pointing at the older man accusingly before throwing his hands up in mock defeat. Torn only laughed low and deep while Jak sunk his face into his palm and shook his head disapprovingly. Daxter's fur tingled up and down his spine as the man's voice danced along his nerves.

"You and the rodent wanna start proving yourselves?" A grin parted Torn's lips and his teeth shined in the light. "One of our.. 'suppliers' needs his payment delivered- A bag of Eco Ore." Sake felt Torn clap eyes on them and she fought back a bitter expression. "Take the zoomer parked out back and drive it to the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon in South Town. Ask for Krewe- He'll be there.. And don't let the Baron's patrols stop you." He brandished his curved dagger, making a few swings at nothing for emphasis. "By the way- When you get there, pump Krewe for information- He's wired into the city and may know what the Baron is up to."

Daxter puffed his chest out, hands fisted at either hip. "You can count on us!" Torn stared back at the orange rat from over his shoulder.

"Are you still here?"

Sake and Jak shared a look, shrugging almost in unison before Daxter climbed onto his shoulder. The trio made their way out of the Hideout and into the alley where the zoomer in question hovered quietly.

"A one seater.." Jak mouthed quietly. "This might complicate things."

"What do you mean?" Sake crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Meaning I get better speed and maneuverability without a second passenger." He commented as he checked the ropes securing the wrapped box to the back end of the zoomer. With a tug, he tightened the m, then nodded subconsciously, content with their tightness. Sake took in a deep breath and sighed heavily, nodding.

"Yeah I guess you're right. Makes sense.. What if I follow? I'm sure following the trail of chaos in your wake won't be _that_ hard." She grinned and he scowled, so she playfully nudged him on the shoulder. The zoomer she'd stolen prior was still parked in the alley, so she grabbed the handlebars and climbed on.

"Har har. That was so funny I forgot to laugh. Just stay out of trouble." He smiled back, donning the package-laden vehicle before revving its engines. The pair sped away, weaving through traffic and people alike.

The first third of the trip was a breeze. They blew passed several guards harmlessly, dodging the meaty speed bumps that trudged down the streets. It wasn't until they came upon the industrial section that things went to Hell in a hand-basket. Just as Torn had anticipated, the Guard had assembled a sizable road block across one of the wider portions of street. Zoomer and foot-soldier alike were lined up and ready, with large metal barriers covering any gaps the guards couldn't.

Jak's communicator sprang to life from his belt pocket. "Jak, Sake, the guards set up road blocks, Keep moving!" Torn demanded. Meanwhile the blond jerked hard on the accelerator and sped through the guards, tossing several about like rag dolls as they lost the game of hookey with the front of his zoomer. Sake followed his example, gunning it and blazing by just seconds after while there was still gap enough for her to clear the road block. A few bullets bounced off the back of the zoomer.

Eventually Sake fell half a block behind Jak but as she had anticipated, it wasn't difficult to follow the screams and gunfire. Another third of the hectic drive flew by and they were once again faced with a road block that spanned a very narrow street as it dog-legged into the port. Jak repeated his stunt from before and braced for impact as he sped headlong into the pack of guards. The sounds of heads against concrete echoed out behind him and he glanced back for a split second to confirm that Sake was keeping pace. She had lagged back but was still visible amidst the chaos.

The streets opened up now, leading into a massive port nearly as big as half the city itself. The docks were arranged in a circular pattern and two large towers sat near the center, connected by power lines and bridges that could raise for larger ships. The skies were also quite busy with zoomer traffic, rows of vehicles coming from and going to the northern sections of the city, as well as branches spanning off to the west.

A neon sign flashed in the distance, bright pink with a large aging mechanical mascot atop its roof. Their destination was in sight but the Guard were still hot on their trails.

"We've got to lose them!" Jak called out. "Split up, meet me in front of that saloon once the alert goes away!" Jak had slowed just enough for them to get within earshot and she nodded in confirmation. They separated, and a few pursuers broke off to follow either one. Jak sped off toward a collection of control towers to the north, darting in and out only to hear an explosion behind him. He then tucked into a small nook, killing the engine. A smaller, more agile guard zoomer sped passed harmlessly, yet he waited. The sector wide alarm was still very much alive, sending the Guard into a frenzy like a wumpbee hive.

Sake, on the other hand, was far less successful at shaking her pursuers. As luck would have it, the Guard giving chase seemed perfectly capable of out-maneuvering her. He drove along side her now, rifle pointed at her as he ordered her to stop and surrender. One of the large towers was approaching fast and it gave her an idea. Hoisting herself up, she supported her weight on the handlebars and swung her leg out, catching the guard in the face. He yelped, jerking his zoomer hard to the left before crashing unceremoniously into the tower. She couldn't tell if he had had time to bail- If he didnt, well.. That was kill number two.

The buildings lining the port were laced with narrow alleys that she tucked into. Several minutes passed and the alarm finally died down.

Cautiously she urged the zoomer forward out of hiding. The saloon was a few blocks away, but the alleys made great passages to travel inconspicuously. By the time she arrived, Jak was already waiting outside. The skies overhead were turning gray, getting progressively darker. Lightning clapped overheard and thunder shook the city's foundation. Fan-fucking-tastic.

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><p><strong>AN: Hey all you lurkers! review/comment already! I know you're out there! ;) I see all those author-watches in my inbox!**

**Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out the original if you're interested.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hiya. welcome to chapter 9! I had alot of fun writing this one.. 10.. not so much. Its like one of those mega craps that you have to try really hard to squeeze out, then when you finally do, its not very satisfying, but its there anyways. Though I'm not flushing this :p**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>After abandoning the stolen zoomer in the alley next to the bar, Sake joined Jak and rushed into the Hip Hog as the rain began to fall heavily, soaking her within seconds. Jak was mostly dry, and so was the box which he cradled under one arm. Daxter jumped off his shoulder, crouching to all fours before giving a full body shake to liberate the rain from his fur. His nose wrinkled at easily one of the most repulsive smells known to Ottsel and man alike.<p>

Almost immediately Daxter set eyes upon an imposing pillar of a man. His skin was dark, bulky body adorned in armor pieced together from leather hide, metal plates and body parts from fallen Metal Heads. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the red lens where the man's left eye should have been, scar tissue and thick skin encasing the metal sunken into his face. His large hands were wrapped threateningly around a long staff weapon, tipped with a horned Metal Head skull.

"Everything's cool- Nobody panic!" Daxter cooed smoothly. The man regarded him with little interest, only watching passively as the animal darted between his legs.

It was then that Daxter found the source of the awful scent- A heavy-set man wearing stained green clothes floated down heavily like the stench he exuded and Daxter's face blanched as his jaw dropped. The man's legs were like twigs, directly contrasting the roundness of the rest of him. One eye was cloudy white and his short, pointed ears sagged with age. His face was twisted into an almost aggressive snarl.

Daxter swallowed and composed himself as Jak and Sake approached from behind. Jak handed the box to the darker man. "You Krewe?" The animal began, the crowd wordless. "Well we shook the heat, and your shipment's in primo condition!"

"That's good, ey- Because a cargo of rare Eco Ore is worth more than ten of your lives.." Krewe closed the gap between him, Jak, and Sake, and both teens took a step back. Sake inwardly shuddered and Jak put on his usual _charming_ scowl. The man sucked air in through his teeth, a wet sticky sound that made Sake's skin crawl. "And hmmmm... Of course I'd be forced to collect... slowly." He grinned far more deviously than the trio would have prefered. Then with a laugh, he floated up and around the three as if to inspect them. "The underground will take anyone with a pulse these days..." His attention settled on Daxter, who had climbed back onto Jak's left shoulder. "And what do we have here? The Shadow's 'Mascot of the Month'?"

Daxter gagged visibly as the man scratched beneath his chin, untrimmed jagged nails scraping at the skin beneath his fur. "Mmm- Soft.. Sig, these furs would go good with my silk suits, ey?" Krewe then locked gazes with Sake. "And you my dear- You're far too beautiful to be parading around with these Underground savages." She felt him place both hands on her shoulders firmly from behind as he circled once more and she resisted the urge to Chuck Norris him in the face. Next to her, Jak was scowling as much as humanly possible and Sake could've sworn she heard him growl. "I'm always on the lookout for a pretty gal such as yourself to please the crowds. What do you say, hmmm?"

Sake's mind instantly formulated a thousand possible insulting responses, but she was confident that the moment she settled on one, she'd think of another ten thousand that were even better to describe perfectly how much she _hated_ the idea of being some eye candy for a bunch of drunken perverts in a sleazy dump like this, or in any 'gentleman's establishment' for that matter, regardless of its standing. For now it was best to be non-confrontational. After all it was obvious Krewe was going to be a major contact, since Torn mentioned him specifically and they were paying him with some apparently so 'valuable' as Eco Ore. Pissing off someone like Krewe could be.. unhealthy. "I'll pass."

"Listen- uh,, Tons of Fun." Daxter began and Sake was thankful for the save, quite enjoying the obvious pun. "-Anyone can see that you and I-..uh, Have the real juice in this burg.." Daxter paused every few words to find just the right things to say, gesturing to himself and Krewe every so often. "We're both players, right? We're both lookin' for a piece of the action, right? I think we can do business, right?"

By now Jak had grown far too impatient to tolerate much more of the discussion at hand. He drew the line in the sand when the creep wanted Sake to shake her ass on some tabletop, or worse. "We did you a favor." Jak blurted out and Daxter cringed, hiding behind his friend's shiny metal pauldron. "Now it's your turn- Why is the Baron giving Eco to Metal Heads?" His demands was more of a statement, than a question and the blond crossed his arms with a frustrated scowl.

Krewe visibly shook with rage, face curling into a feral snarl. "Questions like that could get a person killed, ey? Sig!" He drifted away, gesturing to his dark skinned body guard. Sig stalked toward them. "Pay El Capitan' here and his girlfriend.. a bonus.."

Sig raised both arms and in each hand, gripped a gun of sorts, glistening gray in the dim light from overhead as red highlights traced their short stocky contours. Jak flinched reflexively then took the weapon from Sig. Sake did as well, surprised at the weight.

"If you want to see what those babies can do, try the gun course down the block. Show me some skill with that hardware and I might hire you for a job or two, ey?" Krewe seemed giddy like a school girl. With that, he waved goodbye and drifted away into another area of the building behind a very wide curtained doorway. Sig let out an audible 'hmph' before throwing himself into a booth.

Outside, the storm was still doing its worst and because the saloon was technically closed until later in the evening, they couldn't stay inside(Not that either of them really _wanted_ to after that encounter, Sake especially). Instead they warmed a seat outside until the rain let up just enough for them to proceed to the gun course.

The building was a few blocks away, an open sign flashing on the door out front. It slid open as they approached and they were greeted with the unmistakable smell of oil and eco. Numerous weapons of all shapes and sizes lined the walls while shelves and counters filled with ammo of every kind glistened in the light above. An elderly gentleman was asleep behind the front desk, cap pulled over his eyes and his feet kicked up.

It took a few tries but they were finally able to wake the man up long enough for him to wave them on through to the course as he set it up for use. He also briefed them quickly on the weapon's specifications- The weapon itself was referred to as a Morph gun, and could alter its structure once fitted with various mods. Their current configuration was the Scatter Gun. It fired Red Eco charged pellets from an exploding slug for a short but wide cone of fire. It was effective against nearly all targets, according to the man.

Jak was the first one through, breaking a few records set on the score boards but his score was still well below the highest. Sake of course, was nervous- it showed.

"What's wrong?" Jak watched as she stared down at her own Morph Gun.

"I've never fired a gun before." She said simply.

"Aaahh Its nothing to be afraid of. The recoil takes a little getting used to but the gun does most of the work for you. Just aim and pull the trigger." She watched as he imitated with his own, and she shrugged weakly.

"I get that, but if you say so.." She muttered. The doors to the course opened and she stepped on through. They closed again for safety reasons and Jak watched on the monitors nearby. For a first time shooter, she was actually pretty good. It was obvious that the first few rounds she fired were unsure and thus blew wilde to either side of the target while only grazing them. But by the second clip, she'd become comfortable enough to start scoring some serious points. It was clear she was enjoying herself. There was a loud buzz and the doors at the end opened. Her face was plastered with an unsettling grin.

"A girl could get used to this." Sake snickered and Jak cocked a sly grin in return.

"I knew you'd get the hang of it- see, you're a natural." Both looked at the score board and Daxter scowled before making a gagging noise.

"Jeeze you two. Get a room." The next thirty seconds suddenly became incredibly awkward. Sake and Jak met gazes and both swallowed in unison, each flushing red. There was a long silence and Daxter face-palmed. "Oh for cryin' out loud!"

Both Jak and Sake holstered their weapons shortly after clearing their throats and shrugging off the awkward moment. She found it convenient and much easier to carry it because the weapon collapsed in on itself into a neat little bundle that fit nicely into the lower back holster she got from the desk clerk, on the Underground's tab. With the help of Jak, she also chose a few pieces of armor for her arms and legs from the selection provided, as well as a serrated combat knife. The armor was somewhat heavy but comforting in a sturdy kind of way.

As they were leaving the building, Jak's communicator pinged with an incoming call. Krewe insisted they stop back by the saloon for a chat. Grudgingly, he agreed and it was back the bar for them. By then, the storm had ended, leaving the evening dark, gloomy, and overcast. Water pooled in low points along the streets, bouncing light around as the evening's horizon light up with the city's artificial glow. The streets were once again busy, pedestrians making their way through the city to whatever destination they had. Folks in this sector seemed far better off financially, but their walks still reflected a collective depression.

Once in the bar, it was obvious the place was open for evening business. A few patrons already dotted the bar toward the back while a handful were spread out amongst the booths, smoking and drinking while muttering silently to each other. The jukebox near the entrance was belting out old music that sounded like a combination between an acoustic guitar and a harpsichord, notes droning out with an almost 'Southern' drawl to Sake's ears. Jak caught a quick glimpse of the bartender serving drinks, a perky blond gal and for a moment he thought he recognized her from somewhere.

"Ah Jak m'boy! Excellent shooting, both of you!" Krewe approached quickly from where he hovered prior, fanning himself rapidly. Indeed the bar had warmed considerably, and the odor from before was even more insulting as a result. Jak, Daxter and Sake were all amazed that the patrons somehow managed to completely _ignore_ the dreadful smell. "Ever thought about becoming Wastelanders hmmmm?"

"Can't say that we have." Jak replied curtly.

"Wastelanders find items for me outside the city walls, ey- Any artifact or weapon worth having comes through _my_ hands. Work for me, and I'll throw some of the sweeter items your way, mmmm?" Krewe rubbed idly at his chin, other hand still flicking the fan quickly back and forth, not that it did anything to cool the humid, musty air.

"Kill Metal Heads, get toys? Sound good to me." Jak's lips curled into a boyish grin as his fingers traced the contours of his dark green goatee. Then, as if out of nowhere, Daxter popped up, halting the conversation.

"Woah- Slow down, Jak and the Fat-Man! You two had better run that by me again!" The Ottsel sneered. "'Cuz there's NO WAY, we're going outside the city to face more Metal Heads!"

Suddenly all eyes were on them and the dull murmur of voices came to an abrupt stop. The silence was deafening, it seemed. Daxter subconsciously recoiled, wishing for once that his voice didn't carry so well.

"Sig will show you the ropes." Krewe insisted and seconds afterwords, the humdrum heartbeat of the saloon returned, pulsing slowly and quietly in the background. A glass shattered somewhere toward the back of the bar and Krewe drifted away to investigate.

"So you wanna be Wastelanders, huh Cherries?" Sig once again cradled the massive staff weapon, lips parting into a pearly white smile. Daxter hung his head and face-palmed. "Well we'll see what you're made of when we get out in the thick."

Sig went on to explain the simple logic- Krewe wanted more patrons to visit so he figured he'd decorate the place with some new trophies. The wall above the entrance was already lined with quite a few, Skull Gems glinting and glowing dimly as the lifeless heads snarled down at them. Jak and Sake's job was to protect Sig as he tracked and dealt with the Metal Heads using his Peacemaker. Instantly the Trio's interest was peaked at the mention of Sig's staff weapon and Jak found himself wishing for one of his own. Through it all, Sake discovered that Sig had an obsession with calling everyone names involving food items, like he was on a perpetual pot-induced munchy binge.

Sig further instructed that tracking the beasts was much harder at night, insisting that they return to the Hideout for shut-eye because he needed them at their best for the following morning. With that, the trio departed and made their way back onto the streets. The zoomer Jak had ridden before was still tucked away where he had hid it and they climbed aboard before meandering back to the Underground. The thought of sleep made both of them feel heavy and it was only then that Sake realized- she hadn't slept a wink in the last thirty-six hours, not since waking up in the Hideout and meeting Tess.

* * *

><p>A flash, then a low groan. The smell of fear, of hatred. It's warm and there's something wet washing over her. It wreaks of iron.<p>

The needles, injections, they sting yet they fill her with pleasure. An oily grin parts her lips and she bores deep into their souls through ebony eyes.

They're afraid. They're afraid of what she's become- Of what they've turned her into.

There's a scream and there's a feeling of wetness again. Its comforting and she fancies a taste. It reminds her of metal.

Another scream, filled with desperation and hatred and fear and it begs for its life before it stops abruptly. She frees her claws from the lump of fresh death. The floor pools crimson and more flashes of crimson surround her.

She leaps, a feat of great inhuman strength and pins another screaming voice to the floor.

She grips a long metal rod. The voice pleads but she doesn't hear it- She only sees red.

Swiftly she pounds relentlessly against the voice. Crimson streaks fill the air. The voice and the body go silent and still. More crimson pools and it smells of metal and fear and hatred.

She stares down at the bloody metal rod. Crimson drools down the side. It coats her fingers, sticky and warm-

and what the hell has she done. So much death. Her stomach lurches.

She falls to her knees, grips her chest and screams into the oncoming darkness.

Suddenly everything congeals and she's staring into eyes as blue as the sky. They're worried and the voices around her are muffled, filled with fear and desperation.

Something clicks and she hurls herself against the blue and there's a loud thud. Something falls, smashing against something else with a loud noise.

Her throat tickles with a low growl and her gaze darts between a handful of colorful blobs. She can smell fear and desperation and hatred.

The world slows to a crawl and all at once things snap into focus so rapidly that its disorienting. Almost immediately she releases her prey- no, her victim, harmless and caring. She can feel herself trembling.

* * *

><p>Jak patted gently at her cheek, jostling her just enough in the hopes of separating her from her stupor. Torn, Tess and Daxter looked on with fear. Jak smiled down at Sake, she was coming around. The blackness faded from her eyes and the color returned to her skin.<p>

"Sake are you okay?" He asks, concerned.

She rubs at her eyes, fighting back the fight-or-flight mentality. She knows she's safe here. Jak watched as she opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"You were screaming." He continued and she stared back at him, horror painted clearly across her face. The realization strikes her and she can smell metal and crimson.

"You're hurt. Did I-.." Sake stared at the gash on his arm. It was shallow but the red was already drooling down his arm. She felt her head spin.

"I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about. But are you alright?" Jak glanced down at the wound only briefly. It hurt, but he'd live.

"I was.. having a nightmare about prison, about yesterday-.. I killed a man." She muttered, incredulous. Jak was silent, at a loss for words. She folded her hands into themselves. Torn and Tess, convinced that things were fine for now, left the teens to themselves. Daxter was sitting on the end of the bed, unusually quiet.

"I don't think that it'll be the last time, either." Jak finally mouthed quietly, breathing in deeply before letting out a heavy sigh. "The Baron, Errol-.. " He watched her stiffen at the mention of Errol's name. "They experimented on you too."

A nod.

"I thought so. Then, I'm sure you want to see those bastards bleed, right?"

Another nod.

"Then we have our work cut out for us. As horrible as this sounds-.. Taking a man's life..." A long pause. "It gets easier." His voice was low, solemn and he looked away.. Daxter flattened his ears against his head, hanging his shoulders.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

* * *

><p>Despite the morning's rough start, Jak, Daxter and Sake prepped themselves for the day and departed for the Pumping Station toward the north-east. Jak called ahead to inform Sig that they were on their way. When they arrived, Sig was finishing up cleaning the Peace Maker.<p>

"Hello Cherries- Ready to hunt a few Metal Heads?" Sig was unhealthily enthusiastic as he greeted the young trio. "Follow me, stick close, and watch my six. It's gon' be fuuun!"

Jak and Sake unholstered their Morph guns and readied themselves. The beach was crawling with a number of unsavory creatures, none a match for the raw firepower the three packed. Between the devastating effectiveness of the Scatter mod and the shear strength of the Peacemaker, anything that moved, fried or was filled with more holes than a bad movie.

Jak kept a close eye on his ebony-haired companion. She fared well in a gun course filled with harmless cardboard targets but these were the real thing. Thankfully she was quite capable of putting down anything that got close enough to do any real damage. A scratch here, a scuff there- nothing serious or life threatening.

Collecting the Skull Gems from the dead Metal Heads was a chore all its own. Using a small knife he'd attached to his belt prior to leaving, Jak dug out the gems and Sake did the same. Sig got irritated at them more than once for wasting time collecting those 'worthless stones'. Not that Jak or Sake would explain why they bothered but they disregarded everything he said relating to the gems. With the shear number of Metal Heads, collecting enough to placate the Oracle would be a piece of cake.

The hunt was filled with excitement of all kinds. Several times they were confronted by ambushes as they watched Sig's back, staring slack-jawed as the Peacemaker sent the five largest lumbering Metal Heads to their deaths. Ironically enough, the weapon even jammed toward the end, despite all the love and attention Sig clearly gave his 'baby'.

Once all five beasts were dead though, he directed them back toward the city- Not that either Sake or Jak had to be told twice.

The Oracle was calling them.

They waved their goodbyes and made their way back into Haven through the security gates stationed at each exit. The Oracle's hut was only eighth of a mile away from the city's wall and they closed the gap quickly.

The deep monotonous hum ceased the second they stepped into the door. Both Sake and Jak presented the glistening yellow gemstones they'd collected from the corpses of the Metal Heads.

"You do well to rid this world of the Metal Scourge.." The Oracle bellowed. Daxter's fur bristled and he leaped from Jak's shoulder, just in time.

In a matter of seconds, the teens were consumed in violet. They writhed and wailed in unison, curling in on themselves in a feeble attempt to stave off the obvious pain. Their skin paled to a ghostly blue-grey, once youthful blue eyes filling with black that only emanated hatred. Fingernails grew into scythe-like claws and their heads peaked with a pair of black horns while their hair streaked with silvery veins that expanded until not a drop of color remained.

Daxter cried out his friends' names, but they couldn't hear him. Instead the Oracle's ever present voice boomed in their heads, bouncing around off their skull like a bad shot.

The violet faded and they hit the ground. Jak landed on his feet while Sake hit her knees and collapsed, gasping for air.

She felt light headed, and most of all, _hungry_. It wasn't a hunger food could sate, no- This was the feral desire to kill and shed blood in vast quantities, to make those prison _dogs_ pay for what they did to her. Dark thoughts crawled through her mind like vermin, swimming through her veins in the form of pure Dark Eco. Violet sparks crawled up her arms, nipping harmlessly at her skin. She grunted now, raising to one knee and using her hand for leverage. Slowly she stood, gritting her fangs that shimmered from behind her pale lips.

She hadn't noticed that Jak had already reverted back to normal. She hadn't noticed that she was stalking toward him, and that violet flames laced with sparks wicked up her skin. She hadn't noticed that candles hung in the air on nothing like possessed marionettes.

Jak pleaded, hands raised desperately as he tried to bring her back to her senses. Instead Sake growled low and deep. Two voices overlapped. One was clearly Sake's, while the other was deeper, hinted with a metallic ring. She snarled, baring her teeth in a territorial hiss.

She charged, tackling Jak and they stumbled back into the hut's wall. It held their weight, but a shelf holding candles toppled over. Daxter half shrieked in horror, jumping into action to stamp out the little fires that licked at the ornately woven rug that ran the length of the hut while Jak did everything in his power to avoid being ripped to shreds.

He pushed her off and she retaliated. Candles bombarded his arms in a fiery barrage. "Sake, stop- It's me, Jak!" He would say but his words fell deaf on her ears. Part of him wished for the Oracle to intervene but it was lifeless and quiet as the dead.

Jak had no choice. He'd have to knock her out. Otherwise she was just too unmanageable. He dodged one swipe of her razor sharp claws, ducking below another barrage of candles. Then just as she dove for another up close and personal strike, he dipped low and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Her midsection was left wide open and undefended, and with one swift blow, he slammed her square in the gut.

Had she had pupils, her eyes would've crossed, but the uppercut did the trick. She slumped, collapsing directly on top of him. Jak panted, exhausted from the encounter. Daxter finally stamped out the last of the fires and glared at his friend.

"Jak are you CRAZY? Explain to me again why we rescued her?"

"I couldn't let her rot in prison, Dax." Jak replied simply, pushing Sake off in such a way that she'd just roll to the side. Her breathing was steady and the transformation slowly faded, returning her to normal.

"Yeah well I better not wake up one night with her looming over me. I've had enough food related death threats to last me a life time." Daxter argued loudly, crossing his arms before scaling Jak's shoulder. Meanwhile Jak bent low and hefted Sake into the air. A block away, he found a parked two-seater tucked away in an alcove and decided to 'borrow' it.

She was going to hurt like hell when she came around.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Shout out to JHaywire for their super meaningful and super inspirational comment/review. I was on the road when I got the email and it instantly made me not hate being stuck in a car for five hours. Its comments like these that keep me going, and i'd love to get more, which isnt to say that i want everyone to asskiss me. **

** MaDmAN12435: Sorry if I already answered this in PM, but no I won't be re-writing May it Be. Instead i've got an update for it in the works so I can finally finish that story. :)**

**Thank you all so much for reading. Comments are my life blood and are always -greatly- appreciated! 3**

**BTW. I am an Artist, and i have drawn my personal renderings of Sake over on my Deviantart account. my name there is night-eco. Look me up! or copy and paste this, minus the spaces ht tp / / www .night-eco .deviantart .com**

**Watches are much appreciated too!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Chapter 10 hot on the heels of 9. Thanks for reading! Much love.**

* * *

><p>"Hoooooly crap, Why do I feel like I was just kicked by a horse?" Sake groaned. It had only been a mile or so on their way back to the hideout when Sake came around. Jak cringed.<p>

"I-uh, kinda had to knock you out." He laughed, exasperated as his lips curled into a nervous smile.

"Yeah, whatever the Oracle did, it made you all mean and nasty." Daxter commented, standing on his hind-paws and arching his hands to imitate talons.

"Woah you mean I-" She swallowed hard. "Twice in one week- I'm so sorry Jak!" She shifted so quickly that it made the zoomer bob side to side, making them cry out in surprise.

"It's fine. Its not like anyone expects you to control it." His face was stone-cold and she watched his knuckles go white as he gripped the steering wheel of the two-seater.

They fell into yet another uneasy silence, except this one wasn't cute or awkward in the flirty kind of way. Then Sake let out a heavy sigh. Thing is, it wasn't that simple. Learning to control that.. whatever it was, that thing inside of her- it was paramount. Otherwise, she could wake up with her arm elbow-deep in someone's gut. Chances are, that someone would be Jak, or Torn, or Tess, or whoever else was dumb enough to startle her awake during one of the many nightmares she was no doubt going to suffer from.

Despite being free, despite escaping from the Baron's torture and Errol's ever watchful eye, she was still chained by the massive weight lodged deep within her- Herself, except it wasn't her.

The last few days and dreams had provided a lot of unsettling insight into the mind of this creature. It wasn't any sort of apparition summoned through a satanic ritual, nor a thing that goes 'bump in the night', it was her. In flesh and in blood, but it wasn't her all at once. Its thoughts and desires were disturbing and inhuman. She recalled vaguely some of its mental musings and she would struggle to will it back into her subconscious.

"By the way," Jak said, cutting off her concentration. Sake snapped back to reality. Just a few blocks until they were back at the hideout. "What the hell is a horse?"

Goddamnit.

Sake swallowed, stammering. "Don't have horses where you're from?" She said and Jak raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Can't say that I do.. That's right- Where are you from exa-"

Sake turned away in the middle of his sentence. "It's best if we don't talk about that." Her voice oozed with a sudden aggression that surprised, and scared Jak. He watched a spark of violet dance along her, and he figured dropping it was a _fantastic_ idea, lest she go 'mean and nasty', to quote his neon orange friend.

There was something _unusual _going on with this girl_. _He supposed he'd discover what was really going on, with time.

Much to Sake's surprise, the trio had seemed to fall into a lull. Four days had passed without so much as a peep from Torn or Krewe and his ebony statue of a Wastelander, aside from 'Make yourself useful and organize those boxes' or 'Clean the main hall.'

Of course they couldn't argue, though Sake did try. Torn was especially bitter, making it quite apparent that she had a debt to repay, she owed them for saving her life. He never intended for her to even become a part of their little organization, that his boss- the Shadow, had insisted they shelter her so she was at their disposal. It was a losing fight and finally the teen bent to the older man's will and performed each task grudgingly as they were thrown at her and Jak. Daxter couldn't do much other than whack at bugs with a fly-swatter that was almost as big as him.

And he was good at it. When Sake asked Daxter why he seemed so eager and _talented_ at doling out cold hard justice to their insect invaders, he went on to explain that during the two years he searched for Jak in prison, he performed odd jobs here and there to get closer to saving him. His most prominent was being an exterminator for a pest control company based out of the Industrial section.

Torn certainly found the tale amusing and appropriate.

Day five of radio silence meandered into their week and Torn actually ran out of things for them to do. Jak figured it was the best time to hop down to the firing range in the basement and improve on their weapon skills. He already knew Sake would manage fine but there were a few finer points to discuss. There was a feminine shriek from elsewhere in the building, then a crash, and finally shouting. Daxter was teasing another female UG member, it seemed.

When they descended the steps into the basement-turned-firing-range, there was also a room off to the side where two other Underground members were sparring. Sake found herself entranced by their speed and agility, and the apparently older of the two men managed to pin his partner to the floor before they called it done and shook hands amicably.

"Sake, are you even listening?" Jak waved a hand in front of her face and she jumped a little.

"Huh? Oh sorry. Was watching them fight." She stammered, then focused on Jak. He was holding his Morph gun with the Scatter mod equipped.

"We could practice that instead. I noticed you don't have much hand to hand training." The blond holstered his weapon and Sake nodded. The two men who were sparring previously were leaving the side room, using towels to pad the sweat away from their faces. Their shirts were soaked.

"Yeah I'll admit, I'm pretty useless in a fist-fight." She admitted sheepishly.

"Alright, well..." He paused, as if thinking. "The most important part of any good fighting style is your stance.. let me see yours." he gestured as they entered the room. Sake undid the holster around her chest and set the equipment on a table against the far wall. Jak did the same, even ditching his metal armor, glove guards and pauldron.

Sake, of course, was completely clueless and did what any idiot with no training did.

She copied a movie she'd seen years ago, poorly too.

It only took a split second for Jak to analyze her stance as he circled her. Then he pushed against her left shoulder from behind with one finger and she nearly toppled forward. "Too much of your weight is shifted forward. You need to be balanced to react quickly."

She placed more weight on her left foot, which she naturally placed behind her. Heh, righty. He pushed again and she didn't budge nearly as far. Then he pressed against her forearms, pushing them effortlessly out of the way.

"Your guard is unreliable. You have too many openings that could be exploited." Then he took a stance next to her, placing his arms at certain angles. "Place your arms in such a way that you can still strike while covering your core." Sake emulated, and he nodded.

"How is it that you seem to move so effectively?" She asked, curious as he circled to her front and balled his hands into fists.

"Lots of practice. My village was never the safest, so I had to learn to defend myself." He looked ready to strike. "Now, I'm going to throw a few punches- Nothing serious. Try to block them." Sake nodded weakly and swallowed.

Jak's blows were swift and entirely unpredictable, and she managed for the most part to deflect them with her forearms, just by following his quick lessons. Then he pulled a surprise, raising one fist high and going for her shoulder and as she pivoted sharply to meet the fist, she left her midsection wide open and he went in for an uppercut with his other fist while the first was deflected harmlessly- a decoy.

His fist didn't make full on contact, but the tap was enough to make Sake subconsciously grunt as the wind was knocked out of her. She stumbled and bent over with her weight on her knees, panting. He was fast, and even restraining himself, it was impressive just how much force his punches carried.

She swallowed, taking in deep gulps of air to try and replenish her starving lungs. Eventually the feeling of breathlessness subsided and she peered up just as Jak offered her a hand. She took it and he hefted her from the ground. If he was going to sneak in a surprise attack like that, two could play at that game.

Her fists flew, and Jak reacted more quickly than she had anticipated. Most of her blows glanced off his arms, but with each blow she stepped forward and he took a step back until there was a wall behind him. Then, rather than deflecting her blows, he grabbed one of her wrists, pivoted around her while grabbing at her other wrist and pulling her in tightly.

It only took him a fraction of a second, but it was all he needed to restrain her wrists and pin her against the wall, chest square against her back as he squeezed his hands just enough to make her wince.

Then like a subtle flash in the back of her mind, Sake felt her ears and cheek burn, though they were already red from the exertion. She swallowed to choke back the weird sensations.

"Nice work on the sneak attack. It would have worked on someone with a lot less skill." He said into her ear and she nodded. They were both panting and their breaths were heavy.

Then from behind, someone shouted out to them. "Hey, Newbies, the boss wants to see you." One of the other UG members. "Oh and Uh- there's rooms for that. Not in the sparring room please."

Both teens shared a quick, awkward stare, and Jak finally released his hold. Sake cleared her throat then rubbed at her wrists to make the tingling go away. The man who had called to them before face-palmed and shook his head.

"Oi, teenagers." He turned and left, and Sake and Jak followed after gathering their equipment and rearming themselves with it. Jak found Daxter strutting down the hallway with a big grin across his face and Jak couldn't help but cock a disapproving smirk and shake his head.

Torn was waiting for them in the main room, seated at the table paved with maps and mission plans.

"Got a call from Krewe. He needs you two for another job." Torn said, without even taking a moment took look up at them as he wrote something out on a piece of paper. "Before you go, I have something for you."

Then he handed both of them envelopes and they opened each. Inside were a collection of uneven metal stamped squares and rectangles. Each had numbers, but all of them carried the face of the Baron on one side and the symbol of the Praxis family on the back.

"Money?" Sake questioned.

"What, did you think everyone worked here for free?" Torn quipped, finally setting down the pen and turning to stare up at them. It was then that Sake noticed he was left handed, not that his dominant hand mattered at all.

"Not exactly sure." She replied and he shrugged.

"That's less than what you'd normally earn because you're living here and those supplies you bought at the gun range aren't gratis. Either way, use that money for whatever you want. Its yours." Torn turned back to his papers, mumbling something incoherent to himself.

Jak pocketed the metal chips in a secure pouch on his belt while Sake did the same. All in all, they both had been given a hundred each when the values of the chips were added up. Before leaving the Underground Hideout, they each nicked a drink of water and a small meal.

The trio pulled up to the HipHog atop a single zoomer with Jak at the helm, much to Sake's annoyance. Once they hid the vehicle behind the bar, they made their way inside and were immediately greeted by High and Mighty himself. The bar wasn't yet open for business for the day and was otherwise empty.

"You three are turning out to be quite useful, ey? Hmmm, I have another task for you." Krewe said before any of them had a chance to really react. Jak crossed his arms, listening with only half interest. "The sewers used to be a fabulous smuggling route for me, before the Baron installed security devices.."

Daxter had crawled off Jak's shoulder, and from his vantage point on the ground, grinned like a Cheshire cat with a cream flavored ass. "And before those late-night snack runs kept you from fittin' out the front door!" He quipped, earning an enraged glare from the morbidly obese man.

"I bet you've hatched another brilliant plan in that hungry little brain of yours!" Jak gritted out, tapping two fingers against his head. "So- Who or what do we have to shake down, knock out, or blow up?" Sake didn't like where this was going.

"Weeeeellllllll..." Krewe said slowly, drumming his fingers together rhythmically. "I need someone to go down and shoot every sentry gun in the sewers. And I'll give you a sweet weapon upgrade if you succeed." He rattled his head back and forth mockingly, knowing the trigger happy teens would be more willing to do the job if there were bonuses involved.

Now it was Daxter's time to shine.

"Lemme guess." The ottsel began, immediately drawing everyone's attention. "Dank murky water?"

Krewe nodded.

"Wreaks worst than ya' breath, at an oyster fest?" Krewe scowled now. "Full'er o' Metal Heads, than yer' plate at a one pass buffet?"

Sake and Jak both stifled their laughter as Krewe's face struggled to contort into an expression that didn't seem humanly possible.

"And of course, weapons more lethal than your ever so tidy-whities on a hot summer day!" Daxter dared grab two big paw-fulls of the man's clothing, tugging back and forth. Krewe batted at his paws, but he couldn't reach. "Look Doughnut Hole, Why don't we float around here lookin' hot and heavy, while you go Roto-Root the pipes!"

Sake took a step forward, pointing an accusatory finger toward the man. "We're not doing anything until you tell us why Metal Heads are trading with the Baron's forces!" Jak stared and Sake scowled. Krewe closed the gap, getting within mere inches of her face and she struggled to maintain composure when the stench of his breath wafted by. He audibly growled.

"I should have you three Knee-capped, ey?" Krewe roared, then drifted away in frustration, sucking air in through his teeth. "All I know is that the Baron cut a desperate deal with the Metal Head leader." He was gasping for air now, blind with rage at the teens. "The Metal Heads NEED Eco, So the Baron supplies them with regular shipments. In return, the Metal Heads agree to attack the city just enough to satisfy the Baron's continued rule."

"Yeah, but how long can that deal last?" Jak interjected. Sake had her arms crossed, leaning to one side with an impatient scowl.

"Well- The Baron is running short on Eco, ey? And the Metal Heads are short on patience. Baron Praxis needs this war to keep in power, or the city will put the true ruler on the throne... Wherever that little brat is." Krewe's anger was subsiding, but that didn't stop him from breathing heavily and scowling at the trio.

"Daxter, Sake and I will clear your sewers- And, we haven't forgotten about that weapon's upgrade you promised in return." Jak grinned and exchanged a look with Sake who returned the sentiment. Krewe inwardly hissed.

"Blood suckers."

Daxter ascended to his rightful throne atop Jak's shoulder-plate and they left the bar, leaving Krewe to boil over alone. "How much more of this guy do we gotta' tolerate anyways Jak? He gives me the creeps."

"Until Torn thinks he's no longer useful, I'd say." Sake said, donning their stolen zoomer before Jak had a chance to take the driver's seat. He quietly fumed, taking a seat behind her.

"And considering he's been a long-time supplier for the Underground, I doubt that time'll come any time soon." Jak affirmed and they nosed their way gently out of the alley they parked in. Once clear, they sped off toward the nearest entrance into the sewers.

Finding the entrance to the Sewers took a little effort. Then again it wasn't exactly like they expected a flashing arrow pointing to it saying 'Enter here.' It was a small corridor nestled in between a collection of multi-story apartment buildings and the security door opened with little provocation, a putrid odor pouring out. All three curled their noses before peering at each other and stepping onto the elevator. With a press of a button, it descended into the bowels of Haven.

Almost immediately the sound of gunfire echoed down the hall and they could see red-hot bullets whiz by their hall as the body of a Metal Head fell from the catwalks and into the water below. The passageways were broad, but the platforms upon which they could walk were narrow lacked guard rails. The water below churned sickly, pieces of garbage drifting by,mixed with the decaying corpses of animal and Metal Head alike.

Sake clamped a hand over her mouth, stomach doing ten flips simultaneously. "Jesus, that's disgusting.. Lets hurry this up and get the hell out of here.."

"Couldn't agree more, sister." Daxter said back and they inched closer toward the tunnel from which the gunfire erupted. The gun had gone dormant but a small flashing light at the apex of its square frame indicated that it was merely awaiting the arrival of a new target instead of being completely inactive.

"This is gunna be tricky.." Jak mouthed more to himself than to anyone else. He leaned out for a better look and the gun immediately whipped around and fired a three round burst. There was barely enough time to lean back in to avoid being turned into Swiss cheese. "Looks like it takes a moment to lock on, like the tanks.."

"Jak... Whatever you're thinking about doing.. Don't do it." Daxter said, almost able to see the gears turning in Jak's head.

Then before he could protest anymore, his blond steed dove from their hiding spot and rolled, standing and dodging side to side as the gun split the air where he'd been standing just moments before with three round bursts of charged bullets. Overhead, the lights flared to life right as Jak entered. He had his Scatter gun at the ready and once within range, pulled the trigger twice in rapid succession.

Gunfire pelted the turret and he turned away as it fizzled and exploded, sending chunks of shrapnel flying. Sake peeked from around the corner and Jak signaled back the all-clear.

The next corridor was much wider and taller, and the waters below were densely populated with a creature that vaguely reminded Sake of a tadpole and full grown toad. As they crossed the catwalk, a handful climbed up onto the edge and hissed. One leaped at Jak and he knocked it away with the butt of his gun while Sake blasted the others away with her Scatter gun. The remainder, having seen their brethren die at the hands of these intruders, followed from a safe distance while waiting to exploit the perfect chance to attack.

The catwalk merged with another on the far side of the channel, and from there Jak peered into a dark tunnel along the right hand side. There was a second next to it, and both were sealed with an old chain link fence. As they passed the second tunnel, Sake caught the most subtle glint of yellow before the fence suddenly lurched and rattled.

A Metal Head ran head-long into the fence, the sudden commotion startling the trio. Sake shrieked, losing her balance. In a blink of an eye, Jak grabbed a pipe along the wall and then caught her wrist before she went spilling into the predator-infested waters below. He quickly reeled her in and one jumped out of the water and snapped its jaws at the air where she'd been moments before. It hit the water unceremoniously, mouth empty. It swam off, defeated. The creature behind the fence hissed, unable to reach its prey beyond the chain links.

Ahead, the passages dog-legged, the metal catwalks giving way to solid concrete floors. The channels ahead were pitch black but from their vantage point, they could clearly see numerous points of pale dim yellow light.

They crossed the threshold into the darkness and the lights overhead flickered on, revealing half a dozen Metal Heads. Some hissed while others growled and all at once the creatures stormed toward the trio. Scatter guns at the ready, both teens fired in quick succession and took down four of the six. Before Sake could fire on her last target, it pounced and pinned her to the floor, gun being knocked aside as it clattered against the floor. The Metal Head's jaws gaped and she raised one arm against its throat to keep it from biting her face clean off. Her other hand fumbled at the handle of a knife sheathed below her gun holster, plucking it free before plunging it deep in the beast's throat. It wailed and she stabbed it repeatedly.

Jak had downed his last target just as the Metal Head's body went limp atop her. He rushed over and helped her push it off, and she stammered to her feet wiping violet blood and saliva off of her face.

"I'm going to kill Krewe." She hissed, and Jak silently commended her for holding her own in a fight. With the knife back in its place, they moved on, but not before collecting the skull gems imbedded in the heads of each beast.

The next few concrete tunnels were crawling with assorted life, with its largest predators trying to make a meal of the trio. They were mowed down with ease. Jak could hear the turret ahead and as they rounded a bend, a round glanced off the opposite wall and buzzed by his ear. Daxter yelped in surprise, glaring at Sake when she dared giggle at his expression.

The next turret was no different from the last. It was centered on a tall spire in the center of a large room. The only way to get to it was a thin bridge- Dodging and weaving wouldn't work this time around.

Naturally, Jak formulated a plan and acted upon it, jumping to avoid the gun's fire before blasting it into little useless pieces. The third gun's fire echoed down the next hallways.

The safety and comfort of the concrete passageways bled into the rickety catwalks that plagued the sewers. Jak and Sake only made it a few years down the length of the first run of the catwalk when the whole structure groaned. The bolts securing the platform to the wall snapped and everything failed in a tremendous fashion, sending the trio into the darkness and murky waters below.

The water, though only shin-high, still wreaked and stained their boots a disgusting color. Daxter was thankful for his perch. As they rounded a corner to their right, more yellow points of dim light caught there attention. A rough count of a dozen, Jak thought as he considered the best way to remedy the situation.

"I have a plan but.. you'll need to stay back Sake." His voice was low, but it still carried well in the metal corridors.

"What are you planning to do?" She whispered back.

"Just stay back." With that Jak shrunk down his Morph Gun and holstered it, making a dash into the dark room. Daxter shrieked, then swallowed his fear as he hung on for dear life. Instantly the room came to life with hissing and roaring as the yellow lights began to converge onto Jak.

From her vantage point, Sake watched as the air crackled violet. There was an inhuman bark of excitement and a flash of light provided just enough light for her to see Jak's form shift rapidly.

Then he gave a great leap and crashed down, fist to the ground as a shock wave erupted, throwing beast and water about like meaningless garbage. The entire room was lit up as Dark Eco bolts danced between Jak's body and each of the creatures. Their bodies began to vaporize until all that remained were the metal plates on their heads and claws, and several shiny yellow gems.

Sake stared in awe of his power, the oily voice in the back of her mind jealous and spiteful.

"That was awesome." She finally managed to breath out.

Jak shifted back to normal, collecting a share of the stones while Sake did the same. In the darkness, they found a ladder leading back up to the collapsed catwalks and passageways.

The rest of the mission dragged on as the teens pushed deeper into the sewers. The remaining two guns were destroyed without much difficulty. The corridors looped back around and met up with the door from which they entered in through.

They really, _really_ wanted a shower.

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><p><strong>AN: Chapters 11 and 12 coming after I write an update for Channeler Conduit and May It Be. Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sup fishes! So here's 11. I had a bit of trouble writing this one initially, since i changed a few mechanics of the story overall that made the old introduction to this chapter obselete, so i had to rework things, not that that really matters at all 8D Hope you guys enjoy it!**

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><p>Jak, Daxter, and Sake only visited the UG Headquarters briefly, just long enough to clean up, wash their clothes, eat, then make their way back to the Hip Hog.<p>

Just like the night before, the evening hours had opened the doors to the saloon and patrons were already well underway to getting themselves plastered. Krewe was drifting around, straightening a trophy when the trio entered and he hovered down to greet them.

"What is that horrible smell...?" Krewe sniffed at the air like a rabid hound.

"Oh great, we do your dirty work in the sewers and come out smellin' worse than a wet hip hog in a warm barn!" Daxter barked, then took a moment to sniff at his own fur. Sure, they'd all washed up but the odor clung to them like death. "This could have a serious impact on the lady factor.." the Ottsel whispered into Jak's ear, making the blond roll his eyes. Typical.

"No..." Krewe grunted, and something within him made a terrible noise that sent chills up and down the spines of anyone within earshot. "I think it was my lunch, actually. Nice work in the sewers."

The hefty man fanned himself vigorously. Indeed the day was warm, warmer than most as summer was beginning to hit full force, the heat making the already tired and weary Havenites even more-so.

"I guess you're looking for that weapon upgrade, hmmmm." Krewe said matter-o-factly. Sake inwardly nodded. "Well there's a Blaster mod stashed in some crates at the port. Find it, and its yours." He topped it off with a teasing laugh.

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><p>It had been an hour's worth of searching when Jak was ready to hit something in frustration. They'd checked alleyways and generally any place where you could stash a crate with some weapon mods without it being suspicious. All of their efforts thus far had turned up completely fruitless.<p>

"Hey, Jak, lets swing by that old man's gun course. He might know something." Daxter said, at which point Jak grunted.

"Its worth a shot." Sake said, surprised by the Ottsel's stroke of genius. Or maybe it was just a stroke, who knew.

"Fine."

Go figure. It'd been there all along. The moment they stepped in, the geezer tending to the place waved 'em over and put a wooden crate onto the counter. Popping the lid off with a pry-bar, Jak, Daxter, and Sake beheld the beauties within.

Two shining new blaster mods, settled in next to each other in a mound of hay. Jak slid the mod onto the barrel of his morph gun and twisted it, locking it into place. A barrel extended from the mod, and a red laser sight propped out from the top. Sake did the same. Then like before, they both faced the gun course.

Sake turned out to be quite the marksman with the blaster, preferring the range it afforded her- range that would benefit her greatly in battle since she wasn't too keen on the 'up close and personal' style that Jak revelled in so much. The blond renegade was admittedly impressed as he watched her take on the course after him. It had been set up with some new target varieties, some moving very quickly. He.. hadn't performed as admirably as he had hoped for, scoring well below Sake but still high enough to appear on the top ten board.

As she came out the exit door of the course, she shot Jak a cocky grin and he made a face that was somewhere between jealousy and 'get over it'. He was then jarred from the moment by the communicator in his pocket. Krewe's voice erupted from its speakers when he answered. Back to the Saloon.

They were barely a foot through the door when Krewe greeted them, holding a stapled collection of papers.

"I have a proposition for you Jak."

Here we go again. Sake immediately tuned Krewe out. She'd just ask Jak about the Jellyroll's next escapade on their way out the door. The jukebox next to the door was far more interesting then whatever Krewe had to say as she flipped through the selection of songs in a language she could hardly read. But.. of course, she subconsciously paid attention.

"Racing is the biggest sport in the city. Errol is the undisputed Grand Champion."

Sake felt her blood run cold. Errol. Errol. ERROL. She gritted her teeth, fighting back the urge to hiss at the mention of his name.

"He's crazy, and dangerous on the track, Ha ha- My kind of guy... Only a fool would dare race against him, ey?!" Krewe barked over the low rumble of the evening's patrons and a few glanced toward the commotion before going back to their drinks and hushed secrets. Jak fanned away the odor of the man's breath. "And that's where you three come in.

"A client of mine is looking for a fast driver for her racing team. Here's a security pass to get you into the Stadium section, and uhh.. your contract- With just a _few_ trifles for me... I've already signed your names to save time!"

Daxter caught the packet as Krewe haphazardly tossed it aside.

"We, the racers, hereby agree to give Krewe all proceeds from race earnings, endorsement fees, broadcast fees, syndication residuals, vehicle sponsorships, mall appearance fees, collectable card assets, fast-food tie-ins, use of likeness rights, talk show deals, clothing lines, all print lines including book, novella, comic, pamphlet, ticket-tape, neon signs, bathroom graffiti designs," A gasp, "Toy rights, shoe lines, mood rings, game rights-"

The Ottsel froze mid-sentence, taking a massive breath. Sake stared in complete disbelief at the Orange fuzzball, his speed-reading easily prying her from her Errol-enduced rage.

"GAME RIGHTS?!" Sake blanched. Heh. Funny coincidence, that!

Daxter continued. "Vitamin endorsements, city movie kick-back deals, and, of course- all death and dismemberment accident insurance claims." Finally he breathed in several full breaths, shooting a glare toward Krewe who was grinning sheepishly.

"Ehehehe.. We can work out the.. tiny details later. If you can get from here, to the

Race garage near the stadium in less than seven minutes, my client said she would consider letting you drive for her team. Of course, both you and Sake will have to qualify separately.. Make me proud, Mmm?" Krewe did the best he could to straighten his back and puff his chest out, fanning himself still. Then he waved them off and disappeared behind the curtain toward the back of the bar.

"You're not seriously considering this, are you Jak?" Sake said, bending over to pick up the contract which Daxter had thrown to the ground much the way Krewe had tried to do moments before. As she did so, there was a whistle from behind her and she spun around, shooting a death glare at the brave- no , stupid soul that dared whistle her way. The men in the booths shrank into their seats, like they'd seen a monster or something.

"Hell no." Jak took the contract from Sake as they made their way toward the door. Upon exiting, he tore the contract into pieces before stuffing it into an already-full garbage bin outside the building. "But its a great excuse to drive really fast. What do you say?"

Sake thought about it. If her mother knew what she'd been doing, she'd've been grounded for a year. But, her mother wasn't here and while that thought left a pang of sadness in her mind, she did like the idea of driving headlong through the busy streets as long as there were no casualties.

"Count me in."

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><p>Six minutes, forty-two seconds, and several miles later, the teens came to an abrupt stop at the front of the Stadium. Neither bothered to hide their stolen rides as they jumped off and sauntered into the garage. Where there wasn't tools and zoomer parts, there were trophies and ribbons. The smell of motor oil and fuel filled their noses.<p>

"Uh, Hello? Krewe said someone was looking for a race driver?" Jak raised his voice to be heard above the noise of a pneumatic wrench. A figure moved behind a large green curtain.

"I'm busy right now. You must be Krewe's new errand boy." Jak scowled at the mention of errand boy. But to Sake, the voice rang vaguely familiar, like someone from her past, or maybe it was a story, or a game. "Look- I don't mean to be rude, you did get here fast- But I'm not interested in any new drivers right now."

Jak put on the most sly grin possible, leaning one arm on a vehicle lift before resting his free hand on his hip. "Is there.. anything we can do?" He cooed.

"No!" The woman suddenly shouted, and Jak cringed at the sound of something being knocked over. A wrench slid out from under the curtain and a thin oil-caked hand reached out from under the curtain to grasp at the tool. "I'm working on a uuhh- secret v-vehicle project!"

"Okay, Sorry." Jak cut the smooth talk. Man this woman was rude in a weird familiar way.

"Listen, If you think you've got the guts to race in this town, try taking my prototype jet-board out on the Stadium course." Jak and Daxter grinned to each other and mouthed something in silence. "Beat the Stadium challenge, and MAYBE I'll consider you." The shadow shifted, resting on the frame of whatever contraption she was working on. The pose accentuated the shapes and swells of a curvy feminine figure and Jak quickly found himself entranced by the wiles of this mystery woman. Daxter waved a paw before the blond's face as the corner of his mouth twitched- Yep, gone to the world. Both Sake and Daxter shook their heads in disbelief and once the stranger returned to her work, Jak was jarred from his hormonal stupor.

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><p>Much to Sake's disappointment, there had only been one Jet-board prototype within the stadium's entrance. Jak had the pleasure of taking it out for a spin, smashing the required score with relative ease. There was one point during the time trial when he nearly nailed himself in the nuts on a grind pipe but he avoided becoming a eunuch, but just barely. She was sure he'd have a gorgeous black and purple bruise on the inside of his thigh by morning.<p>

Upon returning to the Garage, Jak boasted about his success, only to be shot down by the judgmental mechanic. When Jak asked why, she was quite ready to remind him that he worked for Krewe. He took a moment to comment on the shining trophies littering the room, all of which were from within the last two years judging by their date stamps on the metal plates.

Through their talks, they learned that there was an elevator at the base of one of the Palace's support towers that would give them access. Jak was eager to exact his revenge against the Baron. Problem was, the elevator was as dead as dead could get. That could complicate things.

Through it all, Sake had begun to feel increasingly nauseous. Her mind played battlefield to a difficult fight as she struggled to keep a grip on herself.

Between all the mentions of Errol, the thoughts of her mother and home, her emotions had begun to play tricks and she swore she could hear oily voices crawling through her like fingers.

Nothing it said made any sense. It was just a cacophony garbled whispers until suddenly, the voice congealed in a deafening crescendo and echoed in her mind.

'_Free me..'_

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><p>With a sigh, Jak rubbed his forehead and spun on his heel just as Daxter leaped back onto his shoulder from the zoomer lift. "C'mon Sake, lets get go-"<p>

Much to his surprise, Sake was nowhere in sight. As he stepped out of the garage, he looked left toward the other closed garages, each bearing text indicating which team they belonged to. No one there, just a homeless man asleep in the corner next to a massive poster of Errol. But when he looked right, he saw Sake rounding the corner leading out to the front entrance of the stadium.

"Sake, wait up!" He called out, breaking into a light jog. She was already half way down the steps, walking like she was in either a lot of pain or..

No. Not here. Not in public. Not around so many innocent people.

Jak went white as a sheet and ran after her as she reached the bottom of the steps, falling to her knees. He made it just in time to grap her arm but she swiveled around and slammed her fist into his chest. He was too late, the transformation was well on its way. As he flew, he smashed into another man who fiercely pushed him off while cursing loudly, but the moment the man caught sight of a horned pale skinned monster, he screamed and ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

The screams had a domino effect as more civilians caught sight of the source of the commotion. By that time, Sake had already focused on another terrified Havenite fleeing the scene and she dove for him. She closed the gap, claws cutting deep gashes into the man's back as she swiped at him. He screamed and crimson flowed.

"Everyone, get out of here!" Jak ordered, not that he had to remind anyone. A woman stood on the sidelines and gawked, either too stupid or too scared to move. The blond only had enough time to turn to her and tell her to run when he saw her hit the ground and scream as her throat was slashed. All thet remained was a gurgling sound as the life faded from her eyes.

"Sake, get a hold of yourself!" Jak cried desperately. Daxter had shriveled on his shoulder, terrified and unable to do anything but offer his support.

Naturally, the creature that was Sake didn't listen. Instead it hissed and snapped at the air like a feral creature. Jak didn't see the rage in her eyes that he'd seen when they visited the Oracle- Instead he saw fear, desperation. What had been so jarring that it spooked her into a transformation?

"Sake, killing innocent people isn't right, you have to stop.." He'd try to reason with a Dark Eco mutant. This was a _fantastic_ idea... Not. Again Sake snapped at the air and bared her teeth, her head jerking in the direction of another scream.

"... Mama?" A small boy, barely older than seven or eight, stood paralyzed as big tears streamed down his cheeks.

"No, No, Sake, Don't!"

For Jak, time seemed to slow to a crawl as he dove into action. The boy didn't move a muscle when she lunged, only screamed at the top of his lungs.

Then, in the nick of time, Jak had his arms around the child as he curled and rolled end over end. The boy shrieked as Sake sailed harmlessly over them. Just as Jak hit the ground, so did she. He set the child down, giving a firm push in the direction behind him and ordered him to run. This time the boy was smart enough to comply and a man had been waiting to grab him with open arms before he, too, fled.

The courtyard was empty, save for Jak and Sake. The city's alarms were alive and already Jak could hear the sirens from Krimzon Guard patrols closing in.

"Its just us now." Jak stood, whiping his cheek. Somehow she'd managed to cut him. He received only a growl. "Sake, Listen. There's no reason to be scared. Just calm down." A hiss. It was no use. She wasn't going to listen to anything he said. He only had one option.

"Daxter, go hide. And take this, just in case." He removed his morph gun and handed it to the Ottsel who reluctantly took it, but didn't climb down. "I said go, now."

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><p>Daxter swallowed hard, the knot in his throat remaining as he slowly dropped down from his friends shoulder, gun in hand. He backed away, weary as Sake seemed to watch his every move. Jak noticed and stepped more in between them. Finally he was close enough to a large planter and he jumped in to hide in a bush. What he saw next made his fur stand on end.<p>

Jak seemed to relish in the changes as he allowed his darker form to take hold, however he seemed to have much greater conscious control over his new found self. He raised one arm, waving two fingers as if to beckon her closer. She let out a furious roar before jumping at him.

Daxter struggled to follow the fight. Both of them were so fast and brutal that it was terrifying, Neither of them gaining much sway for long. Violet crackled around them in a torrent of lightning as crimson started to dot the otherwise pristine concrete.

It was then that the courtyard began to come to life once more, a dozen Krimzon Guard vehicles surrounding them as the fight carried on, none daring to move a single inch closer as the two creatures battled it out. Daxter feared the worst as he watched Jak's actions become less defensive and more offensive. He was losing himself to the fight.

Sake was blindingly fast as she dove for Jak who raised his arm, side stepped, then brought his fist down hard and fast. It nailed her square in the side and she hit the ground, rolling once before she shakily began getting back up. Jak stalked toward her, face twisted with rage and excitement as he bared his teeth like a wild animal. He grabbed her by her by the throat, putting his knee into her stomach and pushing hard while he squeezed with both hands.

She gasped for air, clawing at his hands but she couldn't pry them free. Each guard seemed on edge, yet quietly thankful that they'd only have to fight one freak instead of two. Daxter secretly hoped they'd intervene but they just watched, some laughing and placing bets.

"Lazy sonnova..." Daxter swallowed, nervous but determined. If these useless sacks of flesh weren't going to do anything, then he'd damn well have to. So, he stood up straight, threw the compressed morph gun over his shoulder and tightened the strap, then dove from the bush with a wild war cry, running on all fours at top speed.

Ottsels could jump incredibly high for their size, and Daxter used that advantage to easily span the distance between the ground and Jak's head. He met his target, grabbing both of his friends ears and pulling. Jak half screamed, immediately letting go of Sake before making a grab at Daxter who nimbly dodged to either side. Eventually he wasn't fast enough and Jak managed to grab a hold of his foot, flinging the Ottsel as hard as he could.

Daxter swiveled mid air and landed on all fours, fur standing on end as he nearly hyperventilated. Oh no, no no no. Not good. Jak stalked toward him with pure bloodrage in his dark beady eyes and with a shriek, Daxter beat feet and took off in whatever direction would take him farthest away from the thing trying to murder him.

He was fast approaching the ring of guards and they all made grabs for him as he dove between their legs. They immediately dispersed though as Jak barreled toward them, chasing after the Ottsel. He followed the orange flash of movement up the steps and into the corridors leading to the stadium garages.

Daxter ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but ground to a screeching halt a foot from a wall, glancing side to side in a panic only to realize that he'd gotten himself cornered. Maybe Jak hadn't caught up with him yet. Though as he turned, he found himself staring into his best friends eyes. There wasn't an ounce of recognition.

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><p>Sake coughed, one hand on her throat while the other groped at the ground in an attempt to get her bearings. The sky overhead blurred as colors danced then congealed into figures and shapes. She quickly realized that she was staring down the barrels of half a dozen rifles, and that she was herself again.<p>

Then there was gunfire and one of the guards overhead crumpled to his knees, then another and another as their cries filled the air. Then another scream, Daxter!

She rose to her feet quickly and saw the source of the gunfire. Several Underground members had surrounded the guards and were gunning them down in cold blood. This was her chance. She had to find Jak and Daxter. Before one of the rebels could stop her, she took off toward the direction she'd heard Daxter scream from, rifle in hand.

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><p>"Jak, Please. Please stop, I was only trying to stop the fight!" Daxter pleaded, morph gun in paws as he aimed it shakily at his best friend. Jak inched closer slowly until barely a foot remained between them. The Ottsel felt his blood run cold and he swallowed. Jak raised both arms, letting out a deep roar. Daxter cringed, finger tightening on the trigger.<p>

No pain, Nothing. Whatever was going to happen didn't. Either that or he was dead. Finally he dared open his eyes, letting his finger off the trigger as he stared up. Above him, Sake stood with her own weapon in hand, breathing fast. She had nailed him in the back of the head with the butt of her gun.

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><p>"You alright Dax?" Sake grunted. Then gunfire rang out behind them and she barked in surprise and pain as she grabbed at her right shoulder. Crimson drooled from the wound and as she pulled her hand away to investigate the damage, she realized that there was more blood on her than there should have been. Dizzyness overcame her and she fell to her knees.<p>

Daxter narrowly avoided being crushed as she collapsed.

The homeless man in the corner certainly had no clue exactly what the hell just happened.

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><p><strong>AN: 12 up next. Shit's gettin' srs! Please R&R!**

**I will say this tho. The one bad thing about rewriting this old story is having to go back and reread my old shit to make sure i've got the flow of the story right. lawl**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey its 12! things are starting to really get nitty gritty. Hope you guys are as excited to read this story as I am writing it! Get that imagination workin'!**_  
><em>

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><p><em>Sirens, the smell of oxygen.<em>

_She was moving and there were sirens, like an ambulance._

"_Female, fifteen. Injured by shrapnel from an exploding electrical appliance. Mother called it in."_

_Beeping, sirens._

"_She's flat lining, defib!... Clear!"_

_A flash of white and everything hurts and tingles._

"_Damnit, again! … Clear!"_

_Another flash. The tingle spreads. She wants to scream but can't._

_Suddenly everything lurches to a stop. There's cold all around her then lights pass over her in waves._

"_Stay with us, just keep breathing!"_

…_..._

"_Sake?"_

_She stared out over the water, watching as the waves below lapped gently at the stoney shores. The sun was sinking down below the horizon for the day, painting the ocean a myriad of reds, yellows and purples._

"_Sake, are you listening?"_

"_Huh? Oh sorry. Just.. thinking about the past." She said. The voice behind her was comforting, deep and somehow familiar. She felt rough but firm hands on her shoulder and she turned only slightly until her gaze met another._

_The light from the sun did little to mar the vivid blue of his eyes, round and filled with compassion. His carved face was softened by a smile, faded dark green hair tied back in dread locks. She leaned in as he wrapped his arms around her._

"_Are you feeling Okay?" He said, voice against her ear, Then a kiss on her neck- tender and loving._

"_Yeah.." She muttered, closing her eyes and smiling. She folded her arms over his, and something shifted along her wrist. She glanced down to see an ornate bracelet hanging loosely._

"_You know I love you, right Sakana?" She felt him squeeze her gently and she inhaled his scent slowly. The ocean, salt, sand._

_She turned to face him and they shared a brief kiss before he walked away._

_Turning back to face the sky, the ocean's breeze played gently with her hair and caressed her skin. With a smile, she watched as the last sliver of sunlight dipped below the horizon, bathing the sky in a fiery red._

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><p>Light was the first time to come into focus, rays of streaming in from what looked to be a window as more blobs coalesced into discernible shapes. Slowly Sake rose and glanced down to find herself asleep in a bed. From the looks of it, this was Tess' room. She was in the underground hideout.<p>

A set of clothes had been folded on a nearby desk, with a letter which Sake assumed had her name on it. She knew very little of the Precursor alphabet, the primary language of Jak's world, despite her once rampaging obsession with the world and all its lore.

Finding herself laying in bed, wearing nothing more than a loose fitting wife-beater, she blushed inwardly and went to work getting dressed. The outfit was, surprise surprise, identical to her previous one. Or maybe it was the same outfit. That couldn't have been right, that one had been torn and covered in blood and.. Oh dear.

The memories returned and she froze mid-sleeve. Then she felt a piercing pain in her right shoulder and as she looked at a mirror on the backside of the closed door, she noticed the bandages wrapped around her shoulder. A circle of red had blossomed. Through the pain, she finished getting dressed and opened the door slowly, peeking out cautiously. She could hear voices dancing down the hallway from the main room. Torn was angry and yelling at someone.

Once at the end of the hall, she decided to listen before introducing herself into an obviously heated situation.

"You mind telling me what the hell happened out there?!" Torn's fist slammed into the table and a coffee cup tipped over, rolled, then fell off and broke. The red haired man's angry glare didn't move at all and she saw that he was hounding Jak. "And when the hell did you plan on telling me that you and the girl were freaks?!"

Sake watched Jak visibly bristle at that word and Torn seemed to notice that the young man went stiff as a board.

"Wrong choice of words." the Walking Fence Post said. That was as good as an apology as they were going to get, Sake supposed. She remained hidden, still listening.

"That isn't exactly something I can just blurt out, Torn." Jak countered, obviously still reeling from the unintentional insult. "The Baron did this to us. You think we had a chose in this?"

"A warning would have been nice. Three civilians and two of our members are dead because of you two. They died pulling your sorry asses out of the frying pan." Torn and Jak locked gazes and Sake could almost see the sparks fly. She figured now was the best time to make her presence known.

"You think I don't regret what I-.. It did?" Torn, Jak, and Daxter all turned to face Sake. "You think that if I had the choice to go back and fix that mistake, I wouldn't? I'm sorry about what happened. I really am." She said, trying not to let the shake in her voice show too much. It was hard fighting back the urge to cry. The memories were starting to come back. The crying boy's face filled her thoughts and she clapped a hand over her mouth, muffling a whimper as the tears won.

Torn sighed, hung his head, then sat down in his seat. He almost sounded defeated. "What I wouldn't give to just throw your asses back to the Guard, but you're both already too valuable to this fight."

"I'm touched." Jak said, words dripping with acid. He watched Sake closely as she quickly regained her composure. Good, she was hardening up.

"Cut the shit." Torn's usual charm returned as he looked up from the piles of maps and papers. He began sorting through them until he found a map of an area Jak didn't recognize. Sake had come closer and was looking at the map too, just as curious as to where it led to. "One of the Baron's mining operations is under attack by Metal heads."

Torn rose from his desk now, running his hand along the edge while setting the map aside. "That's not our problem." Jak snapped and Daxter cringed.

"It is now. Especially when the Foreman is one of the Underground's best informants." Torn closed the gap and once again invaded Jak's personal space, jabbing a finger into his chest. Jak resisted the urge to 'reach out and touch somebody', namely the Ex KG throwing a tantrum. Of course he felt awful for what had transpired. But this wasn't the time or the place to let it get to him. Torn finally backed off, folding his arms.

"His name is Vin and he's just valuable enough to save. Find the warp gate at the Power Station in the Industrial Section and use it to get to the Strip Mine so you can rescue Vin's pathetic hide." Torn was about to turn and leave when Daxter climbed onto the table.

"Hey, Tattooed Wonder, Why do we keep getting all the crappy missions?!" Now it was his turn to have his space invaded as Torn jammed a finger into the Ottsel's yellow belly.

"Because I. Don't. Like. You." He gritted out, Daxter stepping away until he slipped from the table and fell flat on the floor with a thud.

"Fair enough.." Daxter whimpered out with a sheepish half-grin and a thumbs up.

Now torn looked defeated once again. "Whatever deal the Baron made with the Metal Heads, the city's eco is almost gone and time is running out. If we don't get the kid back on the throne soon.." He paused, taking in a breath sharply before sighing heavily and leaning over his desk on both arms. "There may not be a city left to defend."

Jak, Daxter and Sake certainly understood the implications, and the stakes at hand. Without another word, they suited up and made their way out of the Hideout. Sake was just happy to have the weight of her armor back, though the strap holding it down to her right shoulder aggravated the already sore bullet wound.

The Industrial section wasn't nearly as far away as the Stadium Section, but that didn't make the drive any shorter. Traffic was tightly packed and Jak had to be careful to avoid being seen by Guard patrols. After all it seemed there were Wanted posters for all three of them on nearly every corner, though the civilians paid no mind.

"Jak..?" Sake began after being quiet for a good while. She clung to him as he maneuvered their Zoomer through the traffic.

"Ya?" He said, not turning back.

"How long was I out?" She whispered.

"Four days."

"Jak, for what its worth... I'm sorry.."

He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. He'd told her once before that she had to learn to control it. It seemed she was far from it.

"Are.. Are you mad at me?"

Jak was silent still, but his mind was obviously churning with a million different responses as he sorted through for the right one. Then he suddenly threw the zoomer into Low hover mode and pulled off into an alley away from the traffic.

"I'm scared. Not of you, but for you." He turned a little to face her as she straightened up on the seat behind him. Daxter sat quietly on his shoulder, tail around his ankles.

"I'm scared too, Jak. I swear I'm trying to control it. How many more people have to die before I finally get a hold on myself?" Sake wrung her hands absentmindedly. "Everytime I fight it, it wins." Again her voice shook and she saw the face of that terrified boy. Jak nodded with a heavy sigh then raised the Zoomer again before inching his way back into traffic.

The rest of the ride was spent in complete silence, and eventually they came upon the ramp leading to the Power Station Torn had indicated. Ditching the Zoomer, the teens made their way inside and immediately found themselves surrounded by all sorts of computers and machines, some documenting geological findings at various dig sites while others had read-outs of the City's power and Eco supplies.

Jak located the Warp Gate controls and set the destination to the Strip Mine then approached the ring as the portal within warbled and flexed like water.

"Have you ever used a warp gate before?" Jak asked as he was just about to step through. Sake shook her head. "Well, the first time will feel very weird, like you're not all there. Just relax, and hold your breath. The trip is instant, so you won't suffocate."

Sake watched as Jak went through, and she stood in the almost-silence of the Power Station. It wasn't that she was scared of the portal, no, In fact the prospect of instant transport intrigued her. Instead it was more that she wasn't quite ready for the sensation if it was at all like what Jak described. With a stiff swallow, she took a deep breath and climbed through.

A mere blip of existence later, she found herself standing inside of a concrete building, with Jak waiting for her. Immediately she stood and shook the tingling out of her arms and legs.

"That.. was one of the weirdest things I've ever felt." She said while looking back at the ring. It was certainly no worse for wear, simply beckoning to them. Jak let a tiny smile part his lips before un-holstering his weapon and making his way to the metal door that separated them from the outside.

"Something doesn't seem right." He said, peering through a nearby window on the outer wall.

"What do you mean?" Sake looked as well. All she could see was a handfull Eco wells, drilling equipment and large buckets carrying dirt from a fresh dig site to a processing building on the far side of the facility.

"Torn said this place was under attack, but I don't see a single Metal Head." Jak switched his weapon from the Blaster to his Scatter mod, anticipating an ambush, then suggested that Sake do the same.

"No Metal Heads? That's a good thing." Daxter chimed in. "Sure makes our jobs easier." Jak was indifferent to the Ottsel's suggestion as he opened the heavy door and led them outside. The air immediately stank of too much Eco, metal, and Oil. "I smell explosives." Daxter added. Sake figured his nose was far more powerful at picking up fine scents than theirs, plus she didn't know what explosives smelled like, though she'd take his word for it.

The Mine was a mess. Equipment was scattered everywhere and there wasn't a sign of life whatsoever. No bodies, no workers- it was unnerving.

As they trekked deeper into the Mine, they approached two pools of raw Dark Eco. This had been the first time Sake had ever seen one up close and personal, glistening and shifting like a thick sentient ooze. Occasionally a spark would fly free, swirl around aimlessly, then fizzle out of existence. Further back into one of the pools, a collection of weird plants had taken root but as Sake looked further, she could see small lifeforms moving within the yellow bulbs at the top of each spiked stalk.

"Metal Head eggs.. I'd say we're definitely in the right place.."

They explored further, leaving the pools of Eco behind. Even still, things were entirely too quiet for Jak's taste. Something caught Sake's attention.

"A blood stain." She knelt next to a patch of red that had seeped into the dirt. It couldn't have been much older than a day or so. The area up ahead was completely open- the perfect place for an ambush.

The renegades stepped out into the open and as if on cue, Metal Heads appeared from nearly every direction, but none were any type that Jak or Sake recognized. One type flew and flung orbs of energy from its abdomen, while the other type was almost scorpion like with a high arching tail tipped with a lethal stinger. None of the Metal heads seemed at all that strong, each falling to Scatter gun fire without much trouble. Jak finally took a moment to breathe once the battlefield was cleared of hostiles. Sake was already well on her way to prying the gems from their skulls.

"That seemed too easy." Jak set his weapon down only long enough to pry a few gems of his own free, tucking them away in a pouch before rearming himself. The trio pressed on, finding themselves within a confined channel between two massive mounds of dirt. Daxter nearly jumped out of his fur when some rocks slid down the slope.

"I think I saw somethin' big up there!"

"Not surprised. Stay sharp." Jak cocked his weapon, then surveyed the horizon. "Lets get up onto that platform. Looks like we can get to the Foreman's hut from there."

The closer they got to the stair well leading up, the more on edge Jak became. The ground below them suddenly burst up as more Scorpion like Metal Heads appeared in a shower of dirt and gravel, hissing and screeching as they were instantly blown into little indistinguishable piles of guts and Eco. Everything around them became hectic as more of the grunt-like Metal Heads they'd encountered in the sewers burst from the dirt slopes, growling as they pounced. Sake narrowly avoided one, unloading several rounds into the beast as it flew by. It slumped, dead. Three more remained, only made worse by another dozen of the scorpion kind.

"Get up onto the platform, use the stairs to channel them!" Jak and Sake turned their backs to the stairs, backing away until they were close enough to dash and climb. Once up at the top, the first of their pursuers reached the apex and found itself full of Red Eco charged rounds. A growl from their right alerted them to a Grunt that had taken another route to them.

"So much for that idea!" Sake said, blasting away at another that had climbed up from the left. Jak took care of the first, and all that remained was one last grunt and a hand full of the Scorpions but they too fell.

"Getting low on ammo." Sake said as she reached for another clip of ammo. Thankfully they wouldn't need much more. The Foreman's hut was just across a metal catwalk that spanned the distance adjacent to the bucket tram way. She took point while Jak covered the rear in case any more Metal Heads opted to storm from behind. Only one Metal Head dared attack, a wasp kind that lobbed a single round before it was perforated like fine cheese.

The Foreman's hut seemed reasonably safe, with thick walls and a door to prevent unwanted entry that doubled as protection during blast mining. Jak could see another warp gate roughly fifty feet to the left, tucked away into the shadows of a deep overhang. Why this Vin guy couldn't just make a mad dash for the gate was a mystery to him.

As they approached the hut, they could see a panel to open the door. With the press of a button, the door slid open and a hail of frenzied gunfire erupted out, followed by frantic screams.

"Ahh! Stay back!" Sake caught a fraction of a second's glance at an older man inside, tucked behind large crates for protection as he pelted the air with untrained shots.

"Do somethin' Jak, This guy's CRAZY!" Daxter barked over the noise.

"Hey, are you Vin?!" Jak turned to say into the room, ducking almost instantly as a round whizzed past his ear, nearly clipping it. "We're here to help! Torn sent us!"

"Stay back!" Vin screamed back, still shooting like a scared child.

"If we were here to kill you, you wouldn't be talking right now!" Sake said finally from the other side of the doorway, weapon in hand and ready to beat some sense into the man. The gunfire came to a stop and Vin flopped onto one of the crates, exasperated.

"Oh, Friendlies, thank goodness..- So w-wh-where's the army?" He sputtered and straightened up, offended at the presence of only three people, well, two people and a talking orange rat.

"Uh, We're it." Daxter quipped.

"What?! Just you three?!" Vin was on the verge of having a stroke, tapping the barrel of his pistol against his head. "What do they think I'm worth?!"

"I'm beginning to wonder that myself.." Jak rubbed idly at his chin as he glanced to the side. He could see Metal Heads regrouping off in the distance. "if you want, you can stay here and be Metal Meat, but Daxter, Sake, and I are leaving before those monsters get here."

Vin half jumped, half dove out of the Foreman's hut, shaking like a leaf as he held his firearm up defensively. The trio immediately darted for the warp gate, diving through before the Metal Heads arrived.

Once through, Vin immediately killed the connection to the Strip Mine gates to prevent any unwanted company from coming through. Then he was instantly back to work, monitoring everything and typing things into the computers faster than Sake could make sense of it all.

"Hey, I wanna thank you guys for savin' my butt out there at the Strip Mine." Vin typed away still as Daxter jumped down from Jak's shoulder.

"And we'd like to thank you for bein' such a bad shot!" The Ottsel said with an annoyed grin.

"Ah, yeah- Sorry about that guys." Vin faced them as he spoke while still typing away with his right hand, not even looking at the keyboard. "I'm a bit jumpy these days." He folded his hands behind his back and grinned innocently.

"Jumpy? We hadn't noticed." Daxter mock admired his nails. "AHH, A METAL HEAD BEHIND YOU!"

Vin shrieked, spun around and just about had a heart attack. "Whoda-Whatchya..." His knees buckled and he slid down the console, hitting the ground hard. Daxter strolled by, grinning from ear to ear.

"Just kidding, Nice reaction time though!"

"Not. FUNNY." Vin growled, looking about as angry as a wet Muse. Jak stifled a laugh by fake whistling as Sake chuckled. Sure it was mean, but totally worth it. "Those Metal Heads have been attacking our mining operations and we're runnin' outta Eco! Eco power keeps the city's Shield Walls up and if the shield drops, we can all kiss our butts goodbye!"

"I've got a few surprises for those Metal heads." The blond hero grinned, hands on his hips.

"You've gotta keep the Shield Walls up until the Shadow figures out what to do." Vin went on to explain that the Eco flow coming from one of their drilling rigs recently dropped, something about Metal Head eggs. He needed the teens to make their way out there through the warp gate and clean up the mess. Just as they were about to climb through and take care of business, both Jak's and Sake's communicators went off. Jak didn't answer his but Sake answered hers.

"Sake here." She said. Of course it had to be Krewe.

"Sake my dear, come by the Saloon, I have a job for you two." Was all he said before hanging up. Sake sighed.

"Krewe has a job for us."

"We can't be in two places at once Sake." Jak was poised at the ring, ready to go, and almost itching to climb through.

"...You're kidding right?" She scowled, looking to herself then Jak and he resisted the urge to facepalm ad the obviousness of it all. "I'll take care of Krewe's job, you finish up the platform."

"Dax, go with her. She might need your help." Jak said and Daxter easily cleared the gap between their shoulders. Sake took a moment to adjust to the weight, and Daxter was quietly thankfull her shoulder plates were sufficient enough for him to hang onto.

"You sure 'bout that?" Sake watched as Daxter crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side.

"Its either that, or come fight Metal Heads with me." Jak grinned, knowing full and well what option the Ottsel would take.

"Fine, you win!" With a wide grin, he hunched down on her shoulder and gave a thumbs up. "Not to worry, I'll keep her nice and safe." Sake narrowed her eyes at him and scowled as if to question the Ottsel's motives.

The trio said their goodbyes to each other and Vin and parted ways, Jak climbing through the Warp Gate while Sake and Daxter made their way back outside to the Zoomer they had acquired prior to their arrival. With a press of a switch, the Zoomer came to life and the unlikely pair were on their way, speeding through traffic and weaving around corners.

"So, Sake. What's the deal?" Daxter finally said, unable to resist the urge to talk any longer.

"What do you mean?"

"With you? I mean, you might have Jak fooled, but somethin's really off about you." The Ottsel said, seeming strangely observant. Perhaps she had never given him enough credit. "What's your story?"

She looked away, formulating an answer. "Grew up in a small village, like you guys." She said. "Why do you ask?"

"Who told you we grew up in a village?" Daxter said, eyebrow raised with his ears laid back, trying to find anything in her story he could mine for information.

"Does it really matter? You wanted my story, there it is. Not much to say." She snapped and he curled his lips.

"But you came from the sky, like us. I saw you that day." It was weird to Sake how serious he was being. She'd never known Daxter to be so down to Earth and focused, not that this was Earth or anything. Damn those sayings, none of them applied here, wherever she was.

"I think we're done talking about this." She said, tightening her grip on the accelerator and causing the Zoomer to speed up a little more as they sailed through the streets.

"Aha! So you ARE hiding something! C'mon, tell me!" Daxter insisted, his usual charm returning to his voice as he grinned.

"Not happening. You'd better hold on!" The Ottsel's persistence and nosy attitude were annoying, but hardly a surprise. She remembered bits and pieces of her old life, sitting in front of the television playing games. Daxter was obnoxious then, too, even before he was an Ottsel. So it was time to give the animal a taste of what it was like dealing with his constant curiosity.

Sake gunned it down the roads, taking the Zoomer eventually onto one of the main freeways that helped funnel traffic through the city. It was the best place to open up the throttle and really see what the Zoomer was made of, only slowing down briefly to avoid traffic as it piled up on the off-ramp to the Port Sector, all the while Daxter shrieking like an infant.

Sake was enjoying tormenting the Ottsel perhaps a little too much.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed! 13 and 14 will come after an update to C/C and MIB. See you ladies and gents there!**

**Be sure to R&R! I see all you lurkers! For some awesome art and concept drawings of our demolition trio, be sure to check out my da at night-eco . deviantart . com! minus the spaces!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for the delay, :C I meant to have this chapter up much sooner, as well as its upload companion, chapter 14, but I got distracted. Plus I was working on updates for Channeler/Conduit as well as an update for May it Be(which are all written and about to be uploaded as well. They should be up by the time you're reading this.) We're starting to get into the nitty gritty now, and this chapter introduces us finally to a very very important character!**

**Please, Read and Review! Your feedback is always greatly appreciated!**

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><p>The afternoon hours settled over Haven like a sauna, filling the air with choking humidity while the sun baked anything that wasn't in the shade. Whatever energy anyone had was immediately sapped by the oppressive temperatures. Sake's only saving grace was that she was moved too fast for the sun to combat the wind associated with high speeds. However as she slowed to a stop in front of the Saloon, she quickly fell victim to its suffocating effects, feeling herself drained and irritated.<p>

The inside of the building was surprisingly cool for once though, with Krewe nowhere in sight for the time being. She approached the counter, squinting as she saw a bartender behind the counter. Why there was a bartender at this hour was a mystery, considering the place didn't open for another four or five hours at least. Either way it didn't stop Daxter from introducing himself.

"Hey sugar plum? You new here?" The Ottsel invited himself onto the counter, making sure to get an up close and personal inspection of the striking blond behind the counter. Sake exchanged looks with the girl. What the hell was Tess doing here? "Well what chya' got that's uh.. 'hot' and uh- Hey, I've seen you before- you're with the Underground!"

Tess immediately stared in horror, glancing side to side quickly with the fear that someone might've heard the obnoxious animal, then she put two fingers to his lips and shushed him. "I'm Tess- Torn sent me to spy on Krewe.. Play along and I may be able to get my hands on a few of Krewe's secrets..!"

Sake buried her face in her hand when she noticed Daxter's eyes wandering to the blond's certainly gifted bosom.

"Ooooo! I love 'undercover' work baby! ..But two can work better than one. Lemme help you out!" Daxter dove behind the counter and Sake heard bottles clinking against each other. Tess couldn't help but giggle at his antics.

"Tess.. Can I have a word with you?" Sake put a hand on Tess' wrist, completely distracting the blond as Daxter began tossing bottles about while muttering as he sampled each one he got his hands on.

"Sure.. Over here." Tess led Sake to the closest booth and the two sat as far into it as possible. They were great for keeping sound in.

"What the hell are you doing here? Did Torn really send you?" Sake's face was solid, mouth drawn tightly into a displeased frown. Tess' own expression wasn't much different.

"No, but I knew we'd never uncover Krewe's dirty little secrets without a little feminine persuasion. I've already learned more in a week than we have about him in MONTHS."

"Wait. You've been doing this for a WEEK now? Tess you have to get out of this place, its awful." Sake held both the girls hands in her own, giving a comforting squeeze and Tess nodded.

"You don't have to tell me twice. But I can't just leave yet. Just last night, Krewe had some of his thugs beat a guy half to death over a bad deal.. He's in with some nasty stuff, Sake. Drugs, weapons, slaves.. You name it he doe-" Tess froze mid-word as she heard the sound of Krewe's hover chair enter the room. Sake slid from the booth and came to stand, only glancing over long enough to make sure that Daxter hadn't gotten himself too drunk.

Krewe hovered up to the girls and gave a sickly grin. "Ahh Sake m'dear. A pleasure to see you. Where's Jak?" A glass bottle shattered behind the counter and the heavyset gang lord took a moment to glare in the Ottsel's direction

"...Occupied." Sake gritted out, stalking toward the counter to retrieve Daxter before he could do much more damage.

"A shame. Well, Suppose you'll be filling in for him then. I have a job for you. I need you and the talking rat to go around and make a few... collections for me." Krewe said with a grin as Daxter hiccuped loudly while limply prying himself from Sake's arms.

"Hey there.. five chins..." he began, words slurred and messy. "Hows.. crimes.."

Sake had to admit, that was pretty funny. With a grin, she hung her head and stifled a laugh.

"What's his problem, ey?" Krewe hissed.

"Nothin! I'm just fine!" Another hiccup broke the Ottsel's concentration. "Mind your own business!" Then he wobbled and fell back, before beginning to sing off-key.

"Listen- I have six 'clients' around town who are about to make money drops for me.. and I need you to collect each money bag as fast as you can.. and 'take care' of any Guards who get curious, mmm? Collect a money bag too late, and and some townie might walk with it-"

"Soo DRRYYY..." The Ottsel's drunken song reached a painful crescendo as he struggled to stand, wobbling to either side before steadying a little. "You know whats the trouble with you, Krew.. You got.. no vision. This place could be a real swingin' joint! Hap Heg Hevin... More dancin', more mac'n.. more WOMEN!" He gestured quite obnoxiously to Tess who looked quite embarrassed. Sake grinned sheepishly and lifted Daxter into her arms.

"Just collect all fourteen money bags before they disappear and bring them back here" Krewe offered Sake a map before drifting away, only noticing then that Daxter was practically making out with her hand then passing out on her shoulder.

"Sake, I can take care of him while you're out. Just.. be careful, okay? And hun.. Don't tell anyone yet, please.." Tess offered her open arms for the unconscious Ottsel and Sake gladly handed him over.

"I won't, and thanks. Stay safe yourself, Okay?" With a wave, she turned and left the Saloon. Her zoomer was where she left it, unmolested by any other would-be thieves. She donned it and made her way toward the first bag.

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><p>Six bags in and she had been mostly ignored by the Guards. A few seemed to recognize her but by the time it might've registered in their minds who she was, she was already around a corner and long gone. She was coming up on the seventh drop when she saw a man with the goods. He beckoned her over.<p>

"Tell that fat bastard that I'm out. I'm through being his supplier." the man practically shoved the package into her hands, but it wasn't money. It was a square parcel wrapped in brown paper and tied off with string. "I heard about what he did to Nile. No way I'm sticking around for that." Then with that the guy stormed off.

"Hey, stop right there!" A guard shouted from a dozen or so yards away. Apparently he'd seen the transaction go down.

"Shit..!" Sake stuffed the parcel into the nearest compartment on the bag for the money and jerked hard on the accelerator. The zoomer lurched forward violently, plowing over the Guard. The blow hadn't killed him, only dazed and once he was back on his feet, he radioed in the disturbance and a sector wide alarm had been triggered. "Figures." Now it was a race of time.

The remaining seven bags didn't prove very difficult to collect, though the bullet wound in her shoulder certainly complained as she maneuvered the zoomer with all the grace of an eagle piloting a blimp. With the final bag in hand, she tucked into an alley and killed the engine as a train of guards flew by on zoomer and on foot in their futile search.

Several minutes passed and the alarm ended, the guards having given up their case. With a grin, Sake patted the duffel bag filled with money (and likely highly illegal substances of the mind altering kind) before inching back out onto the streets and making her way back to the Saloon.

She barely made it to the counter when Krewe hovered up behind her. "Quite the money collector, ey? Here's a gun upgrade, now get OUT!" Two modifications were set on the counter and Sake pocketed both. Tess entered the room from behind a counter, holding Daxter who was at least conscious now, though still quite drunk. "I need my beauty rest..!"

"Trust me brother.. there aren't enough hours in the day!" Daxter slurred with a big stupid grin on his face and Sake could barely contain the chuckle bubbling up from her stomach. Before leaving, she exchanged one last reassuring glance with Tess who nodded as if to tell her that everything was going to be fine.

Sake had certainly had enough of this place, and enough of Krewe for sure. As she was leaving the Saloon, her communicator went off. When she answered, she was greeted by Jak's name. A smile quietly crossed her lips and she answered.

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><p>That evening, the teens were able to get a little down time. Jak was a little scuffed around the edges, some Metal Heads at the Drilling Platform had roughed him up pretty good so Sake helped him attend to the wounds while Daxter slept off the alcohol induced coma.<p>

"So how did your mission go?" Jak asked as Sake used a piece of gauze to wipe some dried blood away from a nasty cut. "Krewe didn't have you do anything too bad, did he?"

"No, he just wanted me to collect some money.. though I'm pretty sure one of the bags wasn't money. Lets just say that's the first time in my life I've handled drugs.." She said, topping it off with a halfhearted laugh.

"Could've been worse I suppose. Just glad to know that things went well. How's your shoulder?" Jak gently pulled the hem of her shirt aside to reveal the blood stained bandages.

"A little worse for wear, but I'll manage." She winced, blushing before pulling the shirt back over the wound. Jak cleared his throat and nodded solemnly.

"If you say so. I have to admit, I missed having you there." Jak's lips parted with a genuine smile and Sake caught herself staring, only to blush a little more before hanging her head and hoping that the horrible lighting in the main room of the Underground's HQ would hide her face.

"Yeah.. Sucked not having you there to help me deal with Krewe either. I swear I could feel that slime ball eying me."

"Doesn't surprise me—OW!" Jak barked.

"Sorry, but there was a piece of metal in the cut. Don't worry, I don't think it struck anything important." She applied some Green Eco salve to a bandage and began wrapping it around Jak's chest. Then once it was tied off, he slipped his tunic back on and yawned.

"We should get some rest. No doubt Torn'll have us jumping through more hoops in the morning." The blond stood, collecting his gear into a pile before making his way to the men's quarters. Sake nodded, gathering her things as well since she had removed all her armor and equipment once getting back to base. As Sake stood, she smashed the back of her head into the upper bunk of the bed they sat on. Jak immediately whipped around to catch her, though she didn't fall, instead only cursing loudly before sucking air in through her teeth.

She fought off the throbbing pain with a grin, rubbing her head before looking at her hand- No blood, but goddamn did that knock hurt. "Not to worry I'm fine." Then she turned and started off toward the curtain separating the main hall from the rest of the complex, only to stop when she felt Jak grab her arm gently.

"Oh Sake-"

"Yeah?" Sake suddenly realized that her face was inches from his and she tried hard not to blush again. He opened his mouth to say something, but instead breathed in deeply, cocking an unsure smile as he let go. "Goodnight."

"Yeah.. you too."

Once Sake was gone, Jak sat back down and ran one hand through his hair with a heavy sigh.

"You'll have to tell her eventually." Daxter said from the pillow next to his friend. He looked a little scuffed up and stank to high heaven of booze.

"Yeah.. I know. I've just.. never done this sort of thing before." Jak's voice shook as he tried to laugh off the nervous jitters. "And what if she rejects me?"

"Rejects you? Pfft Jak you really are blind.. the girl's crazy for you. All hail the mighty Jak.. Faces down Metal Heads and tyrannical Barons.. Scared to ask a girl out." Daxter slurred through a grin. "Bet she's great in bed.."

Jak's face instantly blanched and his palms began to sweat. Daxter practically laughed his fur off.

"Don't go getting' all hot and bothered pal, now go get some sleep, would ya? This Ottsel needs to sober up.." With a paw waving idly in the air, Daxter rolled over and buried his face into the pillow and Jak nodded.

"Ya, Night buddy." The Ottsel was already out cold, starting to snore lightly. On his way to the men's sleeping quarters, Jak looked into the women's quarters just long enough to spot Sake who was already down for the night. He smiled then turned in himself for the evening.

* * *

><p>Morning came entirely too early as it always did. Sake roused slowly from sleep, hair disheveled and tossed like a bad salad. A little effort and it was tamed back down into its usual grace. Once pleased with her appearance, she took a moment to don her armor and equipment, holstering her knife and morph gun. She left the room, stopping by Tess' room on her way to the front.<p>

The room looked like it hadn't been used in days, aside from when she woke up there. The bed had been neatly made, the shirt she left behind gone and who knows where. All in all it felt vacant. She hoped like hell that Tess knew what she was doing.

The kitchen was the next stop before reaching the main hall, and Jak was already at work fixing a couple sandwiches from the meager provisions in the cooler. She waved a good morning, then took the plate when he handed it to her. Seemed his idea of a sandwich constituted from some strange orange vegetable that smelled vaguely like onion and two thick-ish slices of mystery meat nestled into two pieces of almost-stale bread.

"Yakkow." he said as she observed the reddish brown meat curiously. It certainly reminded her of roast beef back home. Hopefully it tasted the same.

It didn't, but it was food. Sake chewed grudgingly through the otherwise tough meat which had a distinct greasy texture to it, which according to Jak, was natural to the animal.

"Grew up on Yakkow milk and meat." He said before taking another huge bite. His sandwich was almost gone and Sake had barely made a dent in hers.

"I see." It took time but she muscled through, placing the old metal dented plate into the sink before rinsing it and washing the oils from her hands.

Daxter soon found them in the kitchen as well, slowly climbing up onto Jak's shoulder with a long heavy groan. Sake squeezed her lips together to stop the oncoming grin.

"Hangover?" She finally squeaked out.

"Not the worst, but I'd definitely give it an eight or a nine.. I'll be fine." It seemed the Ottsel's charm was only partly diminished by the raging headache he no doubt had. For something so small, he sure could handle his liquor.

The trio made their way into the main hall where Torn was once again pouring over maps and reports. He turned to them when they entered.

"Bout time you sorry asses crawled outta bed. Morning was six hours ago. Sake glanced at the clock on the far wall, it was still early in the morning. 'Guess Torn's an early bird.' She thought quietly, though the bags under his eyes told a whole 'nother story. Daxter didn't look much better, dragging himself up onto the table. The light overhead swayed a little and it was obvious by the Ottsel's grin that he was planning something.

"Time to get down to business. We're a little low on supplies and because you two are on the shit list, you get the great honor of going to collect them. Then when you get back, there's chores that need doing." Torn growled while observing a document. It seemed he was transcribing something but Sake couldn't tell what. The words and letters were completely foreign to her, with the exception for a few symbols that she knew from musings years prior when she was just a dumb lazy girl playing games all day.

Then again, given their current 'mission', it was likely a grocery list. How lame. The older man finished the list and handed it to Sake. She stared at it, almost going cross-eyed in an attempt to make heads or tails of the symbols. With a shake of her head, she passed the list off to Jak who pocketed it.

"And if there's no missions after that, then guess what." Torn could hardly hide the smirk.

"More chores." Daxter whined.

"Bingo. Here's a Bizarre Security Pass and the funds. That's the exact amount, not a penny more. If there's change, I better get it back, and you better get everything on that list, or its coming out of your next payment." Torn seemed to be in an exceptionally bitter mood today. Sake blamed sleep deprivation.

Jak turned to leave the hideout and Sake began to follow before Torn called her name.

"Before you go, Have either of you seen Tess lately?"

Sake swallowed. She promised Tess she wouldn't tell anyone. Not even Torn, or Jak.

She shook her head. "Not lately, why?" She prayed like hell that Torn didn't notice she was lying through her teeth. Daxter opened his mouth but Sake shot him a dirty look so he closed it with a stiff swallow. Neither Jak nor Torn noticed, which was for the better. On their way back from the night before, Sake had insisted that the Ottsel keep his mouth shut or she'd skin him alive.

"She hasn't reported in in days. I'm worried. Ever since that little charade at the Stadium, she's been quiet. I can only hope that she's gone to ground, and not rotting in some cell in the Prison."

"If we see her, we'll tell her to call you." Jak said and Torn nodded, looking a bit lost.

* * *

><p>The first words out of Sake's mouth were along the lines of 'holy' and 'shit', as the trio entered the bustling market. The Bizarre was a perfect name because vendors were pushing everything from filets of raw exotic looking fish over ice to all manners of hand made clothes and fabrics- things Havenites couldn't hope to ever afford if they lived in the dilapidated slums where the Underground worked out of.<p>

The area had been sectioned off to prevent any zoomer traffic, so buyers all carried around large baskets with straps on their backs, or carried woven baskets on their heads. Sake wondered if this was what it felt like in the markets of a foreign country back home. The sights, the smells, and even the sounds of a lone performer plucking at an instrument that looked like a combination of a violin and a harp to Sake filled her senses.

It was only then that she realized she was almost drooling on herself at the smells, despite having a more than filling breakfast. She couldn't have ever imagined Haven would have anything so magnificent. Jak was busy looking at the list, trying to figure out where all the things were.

* * *

><p>He stared at the list, eyes going cross-eyed. He really wanted to punch Torn right now. Just staring at the list made him angrier than it should have, but he was suddenly broken loose from his stupor when he heard Daxter say something to him.<p>

"Huh..?"

"Jeeze Jak. I asked, where did Sake go? I don't see her."

Instantly Jak felt himself go into panic mode, not that he a) had to worry about her and b) should have because he didn't feel a single thing for her, nope.. not at all.. No feelings whatsoever-..

Yeah he'd better go and find her.

Jak fought hard to avoid being trampled amidst the absolutely insane crowds as the sun overhead beat down on them with its early afternoon intensity, though the colorful awnings and banners spanning the width of the pathways helped to cut out a good majority of the heat and light while strings of lights provided illumination in the more darkly lit areas.

Finally he called her name, but when she didn't reply after three or so times, he began to get worried, unjustifiably of course. She had weapons, a communicator, a knife, and had a pretty swift punch that he remembered quite well. So why was he worrying so much?

"There!" Jak turned to face the direction Daxter's finger pointed just as a large man filled the space, and Jak leaned to get a better look, smiling a little when he caught sight of Sake staring through a glass case at.. go figure.

Jewelry.

He called to her again and came up, looking through the case at the piece in question that captivated her so entirely that she didn't hear him calling her name. He was surprised that it was actually the simplest piece in the case- A bracelet, with orangy-gold metal glistening in the sun, set in with seven black-purple stones of varying sizes that seemed to almost glow dimly- Though he was sure that was just the light playing tricks on his eyes.

He also noticed the price-tag, a whopping 6000. He had to keep from screeching with shock, almost jumping again when Daxter leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"C'mon Jak.. It's obvious she likes it, trust me, with the way she's eyeballing it.. you should totally get it for her!" Jak shot the Ottsel a nasty glare- Of course he was already planning on buying her the gift, He wasn't a moron. But the price, dear Mar the price. He'd have to beg Torn for the money, especially since he had no idea when the next time they'd get paid was. He also refused to resort to lowly theft. That'd make him no better than the Baron and his cronies.

The vendor in question, a moderately portly old man with a gentle smile, noticed them focused rather intently on the bracelet. He reached into the case, lifting the bracelet from its holder. Sake seemed entranced by it and Jak had to admit, it was kind of nice, in a pretty, girly way.

"Would you like to try it on, young lady?" The man said, voice a little airy but filled with all the wisdom granted to him through years of life and experience. Jak was amused when Sake visibly stammered and nodded, then watched as she removed a leather cuff to slide on the bracelet, which seemed to be a perfect fit for her slender wrist. "It looks fantastic on you. I can see that you really want it. So how about just 4500?"

Jak felt defeated as he watched Sake's world come crashing down, and she removed the bracelet with a heavy sigh as she shook her head.

"I couldn't possibly hope to afford that." She admitted sheepishly, and the old man slid the bracelet back into the case before closing it.

"That's quite alright." He said with a smile. "I'm sure it'll find a home eventually."

The blond hero was helpless to stop Sake as she stepped away, only slightly disheartened by her inability to purchase an otherwise useless piece of flashy jewelry. But he had to admit- Daxter was right, he did have feelings for the girl and he wanted to show that to her, especially with something she wanted. He was about to step away from the stand when the old man called to him.

"Hey boy, before you go.. I can tell you haven't told her how you feel yet, so if you promise me that you will, I'll sell you this bracelet for 2000."

"Hey Old Man, this isn't some kind of scam, is it?" Daxter quipped, eying the white haired man with all the skepticism of a child and a treat.

"Most certainly not. I recognize true love when I see it." The man said with a knowing smile and the blond fought hard to push back the blush, masking it with a seemingly bitter glare. When Jak opened his mouth to argue, he raised a hand. "Ah, ah, ah now, Don't argue with me, I don't want to hear it. 1500, and that's final. Don't pass her up son, you'll regret it."

"Alright, I promise, but I'm not exactly made of money." Jak scowled, staring pitifully at the hundred total in metal chips he had in his money pouch and Torn would skin him alive for spending the Underground's chits on a fancy trinket.

"Tell me boy, what's your name?"

"Jak, and this is my friend Daxter." He said, pointing to Daxter who grinned.

"No last name?" The man said with one brow raised quizzically.

"Don't have one"

"Well, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Kaolinth. You'd best catch up before you lose sight of her again."

Jak turned and yet again Sake had vanished into the crowds like a ghost. He quietly cursed and nodded before turning and running off into the throngs of people to locate Sake. He quickly found her at another stand, passing a few metal chips to a vendor as she held a thin brown leather book in the other hand. The vendor passed back her change and she turned to greet Jak as he approached.

"Felt like buying a journal. Something to pass the time on our off days." She said with a grin while pocketing her money and securing it tightly from any would-be pick-pockets. "So how about those supplies."

The next two hours were spent collecting the supplies on the list and securing them in the back of a Zoomer before hauling them back to the Underground's headquarters. On more than one occasion, a vendor called them over by name specifically and handled the transactions a bit more discreetly than a typical purchase. It seemed Torn had his fingers in many pies, or at least, lots of support from the public.

They'd need it, especially when it came time to overthrow the Baron.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hi again! Why don't you quit reading my ramblings and skip on to the next chapter?! I kid, hope you're enjoying it so far! and again, please R&R! It'd be greatly appreciated!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Welcome to chapter 14! Not much to say so I won't hold you up- Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>By the time they returned to base, Torn was visibly twitching in his seat, obviously nervous about something. Sake was the first to break the ice.<p>

"What's got you so wound up. News about Tess?"

"No, but one of my old Guard comrades was sent to the pumping station this morning and There's been no word from the patrol. After what you guys ran into out there, I'm afraid she may need some help." All the while, Daxter was hard at work making obnoxious faces each time the overhead light swung his way.

"Did you say 'she'?" Jak asked, more surprised than intrigued. Torn scowled, which wasn't much different from his usual expression of 'get away from me or I'll slit your throat'.

"Don't even think about it." Then he noticed the Ottsel's antics and put a hand on the lamp. "STOP THAT! This is serious you moron!" Daxter only jumped a little at the man's outburst, but put both hands in the air as if ready to strike as Jak raised his hand to knock some sense into the animal.

"HoooWAH! That's right, Don't mess with the sugar!"

"This friend of mine has helped the Underground many times before. Go back to the Pumping Station and take a look around. Render assistance if needed." Torn's steely blue eyes bored holes into Daxter as he glared still at the Ottsel. "Not get your SQUIRELY ass outta here." He slammed his palm into the table for emphasis before storming off to the back curtain.

Daxter blew a raspberry and Jak rolled his eyes, grabbing Daxter by the scruff of his neck before planting him back on his shoulder.

As they left, a few of the Underground's other fighters brought the supplies from the Bizarre inside. Sake noticed one of them- a shorter, lanky man with a bald, shaven head making a phone call. He seemed a little fidgety, nervous even, but she didn't have the time to question his behavior as she climbed onto a zoomer with Jak and they sped out of the alleyway.

* * *

><p>"We've searched every inch of this beach. I don't SEE any evidence of a patrol, so why are we still looking?" Daxter groaned. The day's bright warm sun had begun to drift behind the horizon, bathing the Pumping Station in an array of oranges and yellows as the sky began to dot purple like it was painted by an epileptic artist.<p>

"Well, Don't KG's ride around in those big ugly zoomers? Maybe she didn't walk?" Sake considered aloud, more to herself than anyone in particular though Jak nodded in agreement.

"Going up, then."

With a little effort, the teens found a steep stone edifice with just enough hand and foot holds to make their way to the top. It was the only place they hadn't searched yet. Sake had to continuously remind herself not to look down while Jak seemed preternaturally at home in the steep landscapes as he scaled it effortlessly.

Once she reached the top, he helped her up and they took a moment to scan the area. The top of the rock was heavily forested with palms and razor grass but Sake could see the solid straight outlines of carved stone pillars and rocks from an old demolished structure coated in a carpet of vines and mushrooms.

"Ruins of some kind, I think." Jak commented, noticing her probative stare. "There, a clearing, and a Zoomer."

As they approached, Daxter dove from his shoulder and ran up to the Zoomer.

"What the heck are we doing risking our lives for some old Krimzon Guard hag anyways? She's probably got more facial hair than me." He squatted low, using one foot to scratch at the base of his chin.

Suddenly the trees overhead ruffled and something fell, immediately grabbing Jak by the neck. Sake found herself staring down the barrel of a pistol and she reflexively put her hands in the air.

"Who the hell are you three?!" The woman barked, a tall slender red head with a body taken straight out of a guy's magazine. Sake noticed she had a knife pressed dangerously close to Jak's neck, though he didn't seem the least bit worried or afraid. Daxter was grinning from ear to ear.

"Mmmmm I do love a woman in uniform! Wanna bark some orders at me? Woof, woof!" He jumped onto the woman's arm, using Jak's head for balance. The woman looked far less impressed by the Ottsel's perverted antics, even a little disgusted, not that Sake blamed her. "I'm your soldier on the front lines of love! Waiter, foxhole for two!"

"Keep talking and I'll raise your voice a couple of octaves." Daxter found himself staring down the barrel of a pistol.

"Easy.. Torn asked us to help you." Jak was pushed aside, rubbing at his throat with one hand while waving at the air with the other to try and coax the woman to disarm herself. She sheathed the knife.

"I don't need help. But you might- We've got company."

* * *

><p>The bodies quickly piled up, and in just a matter of minutes, the gunslingers had taken out close to fifty Metal Heads. What was left still alive shrieked in fear and made a mad dash for escape, only to be mowed down until not a single beast remained. The woman holstered her gun and made for her Zoomer like a fire had been lit beneath her, climbing in and taking a seat.<p>

"Watching you take care of those Metal Heads was uuhh pretty.. Exciting, wasn't it sugar?" Daxter said with a grin, eying his nails nonchalantly. Just then he was blown back by the gust of air beneath the massive zoomer as it started. "Hey! Sweet stripes!" The Ottsel could barely maintain posture against the exhaust. "Gimme them digits so I can look ya up sometime! We'll party hard, big city style!"

Naturally, the woman was unimpressed and ignored the animal's advances. "Tell Torn Baron Praxis is planning something big- I think it has to do with that symbol!" She pointed to a stone pedestal topped with a metal emblem that reminded Sake of a yin and yang.

"What is it?!" Jak shouted over the roar of the zoomer.

"Its the Seal of the House of Mar, the Founder of Haven City. We're being sent out on suicide missions to locate artifacts from the time of his rule. If curiosity is worth dying for, you can ask the blind, old soothsayer in the Bizarre named Onin. She might know something about all this. By the way, the name's Ashlein. We're even now." Stiffly, Ashlein took the controls and raised the Zoomer high into the air before taking off back in the direction of Haven.

"Wow, what a woman! Raawwrr.." Daxter clawed at the air and gave a teasing growl, making the teens shake their head.

"Jak, I don't think those Metal Heads were here on patrol. Too many of them, too quickly. Think they were waiting for us?" Sake walked back over to one of the many corpses and began prying the stone from its forehead. Jak joined her.

"Maybe. The Metal Heads were definitely targeting this place though. I think we were just a bonus."

"Still got that Bizarre pass from Torn?" She grunted, struggling to pull a gem from one of the larger creatures.

"Yeah. We'll take care of it tomorrow though. The city isn't safe at night."

"Aha, right, well whatever you say. I could use the rest and a shower anyways."

The trio finished collecting gems, stashing them in their bags before making the climb back down to the station's walkways and ultimately, back to Haven. Once inside the relative safety of the city's walls, they donned yet another 'borrowed' Zoomer and made haste for the Hideout for some much needed R&R.

* * *

><p>The Bizarre was much less busy today, then again it was much earlier in the morning than the day before. Sake was disappointed to see that the man with the bracelet wasn't at his stall, which was closed up tighter than a bank vault. Ah well. Pushing the thoughts aside, she followed Jak through the much thinner crowds deep into the Bizarre's inner reaches. He seemed twitchy.<p>

"Jak, something on your mind?"

"We're being followed." He said firmly, not skipping a beat as he swiftly weaved his way through the pockets of shoppers. Daxter knew well enough not to look, which would alert their tail that they were onto him.

"What?-"

"Not so loud. He started following us when we entered the district" Jak didn't turn back, but Sake could see someone out of the corner of her eye, weaving gracefully through the still packed streets of the Market.

"You think he's with the Baron?"

"No way of knowing. Let's find out, shall we? Through here." They took an immediate detour through a narrow alley between two of the buildings, just barely dodging a deluge of water as someone poured a bucket from a third story window. They quickly rounded around a corner, then another and another but with each turn, their mysterious shadow seemed to follow them effortlessly. The teens crossed a courtyard tucked into the alley, slipping into yet another dark, cool corridor between two buildings. Once Jak was sure that he'd led the stranger on a wild enough goose-chase, he took point at the exit to the alley while Sake took the other. Several seconds passed and the man came rushing out of alley, only to find himself pinned to the ground as both teens pounced.

"Why are you following us?!" Jak barked, unsheathing his knife and placing it to the man's throat in a blink of an eye.

"Rot in Hell, freak! You and your little Underground friends are finished, especially when I tell the Baron where you've been hiding!" the man barked, and Jak barely caught himself in time when he felt something hard smash into the side of his head. Sake was thrown free too, unable to hold the wiry individual down. When both of them came to, he was on his feet and already making for the nearest wall, throwing himself up with great speed before latching onto the edge of a balcony and pulling himself up, only to keep scaling upward. A cap fell from his head, revealing a bald scalp with tattoos.

"I recognize him-saw him this morning, at the Hideout!" Sake barked.

"Follow from the ground, I follow him on the rooftops!" Jak pulled Daxter from his shoulder, almost throwing him at Sake, then gave chase, scaling the face of the building as the stranger reached the top. Sake did as told and chased after them on the ground, diving through more narrow alleyways, dodging clothes lines and crates, and startling more than a handful of Havenites out for their morning chores. Every few feet she'd glance up and see the shadows pass overhead as they leaped between buildings and over gaps.

Along the way, the chase took a sharp turn that left Sake at the end of a gated alley, forcing her to go diving through the kitchen of a resturaunt, then through its main hall, much to the surprise of those dining in.

"SORRY!" She shrieked, vaulting over a table, much to her own surprise at how massively awesome that move was. Once back out onto the streets, she stormed through crowds, doing her best to simply sweep them aside instead of pushing them away while still following the chase as best she could.

* * *

><p>Jak grunted, struggling to push himself as hard as possible. He wasn't used to the uneven terrain the buildings provided, and despite running as fast as he could and climbing as quickly as he could, the man still seemed to outmaneuver him.<p>

Up one wall, down another, across a narrow pipe, over a gap, then another- The blond couldn't grasp the concept of someone being able to negotiate such an environment so well, even though it was happening before his eyes. There were multiple occasions where he nearly slipped and fell, but was able to recover before meeting the ground stories below.

Far ahead, the man came to a screeching halt, poised atop the edge a five story apartment building and looking down at the streets beneath. Jak skidded to a stop mere feet from the man, chest heaving and burning from exhaustion but he was still ready for a fight. His gun would prove useless as the man could have easily evaded, though his surroundings had been littered with all manners of potted plants, glass jars, and a fountain; each of which could be useful in a fight.

"Tired already? And Torn really thinks you punks can take down the Baron? Pathetic." The man sneered, raising a hand and beckoning to Jak.

"Oh no, I'm just getting started.." Jak grinned a too-wide smirk, diving for the man who easily avoided his charge, jumping high in the air, flipping end over end before landing behind him, but the blond wasn't so easily confused, pivoting quickly to throw a volley of swift punches. Each met a forearm, the man quickly parrying or deflecting the blows, while Jak fought to keep from being decked himself.

His opponent finally landed a healthy blow to his jaw, sending Jak reeling sideways as his legs were swept out from under him. The renegade quickly recovered, using his legs for momentum to get back to his feet only to dodge yet another punch. He grabbed the man's arm, twisting and pulling with the hopes of throwing him off balance. Instead the man allowed himself to go down, pulling the teen with him. Jak barely had the time to think before another punch slammed into the ground where his head had just been, and he reached for a pot of flowers, hurling it toward the stranger's head. It met its mark, shattering into pieces and showering the both of them in a storm of dirt and roots.

The man stumbled, shaking his head as he stood before growling and charging at Jak, the two meeting as he felt himself come off the ground and slammed into a wall hard. Raising one arm, he rammed his elbow into the man's back repeatedly, then kicked him back with both feet as he pushed off the wall. The push gave him plenty of air, which he used to put more force behind his fist which he brought down like a sledge hammer, only to have it grabbed and redirected. He hit the ground and slid, only stopped by the fountain as he hit the back of his head.

His vision swam and almost instantly he had the urge to vomit as pain blossomed from the point of impact. Suddenly he felt himself being lifted by his hair, then the cold wetness of water as the man plunged his head into the fountain's depths. Instantly water filled his lungs and he fought hard against the man's force. Desperate and losing, he flailed one arm back, thankful when his elbow struck the man square in the face. When the man let go to stumble back, Jak rose and took a moment to cough up the water, grunting and gasping for air all at once.

He'd manage to hit the man pretty hard, and his nose was obviously broken, bent in an odd direction. A large cut stretched from the man's scalp to his chin bone where the flower pot had made impact, drooling crimson as blood gushed from his nose.

"I've stuck around long enough, Playtime is over." Before Jak could react, he was staring down the barrel of a sleek but boxy black pistol. The stranger was retreating slowly toward the edge of the building with a grin. With one foot, then the other, he perched precariously on the edge as a stiff cross wind blew. "I think its high time I let the Baron in on our little secret, mm?" Then he began to tilt backwards.

"You're not going anywhere!" Jak barked, using what was left of his energy to dive for the man who was already over the edge. His hand caught the man's clothes, and Jak felt himself being pulled over. The fall lasted a fraction of a second and Jak waited for the sudden stop at the bottom. It came, but it was softened by something, the body of the man who now laid lifeless below him, the fall severing his spine instantly..

Just as Jak stood slowly, Sake came careening around the corner, slowing when she saw the man dead on the ground and Jak mostly unscathed aside from a dislocated shoulder, a busted lip and several cuts and bruises.

"Search him." Jak demanded, nursing his shoulder while trying to fix it. Sake knelt down and began checking the man's pockets, retrieving his communicator and a small booklet filled with writing, no doubt observations on the Underground and its movements. She pocketed that, along with the man's pouch of money chits and Security pass which had his name on it: Blayde. What kind of name was Blayde?

"At the very least it'll look like a robbery gone wrong. We should get out of here." She insisted, helping Jak to his feet.

"I need your help. I can't fix this on my own." Jak grunted. Daxter looked worried, but not enough to alarm Sake. Obviously he'd been in this situation before. The trio fled from the man's crushed body, making their way into a nearby secluded alley. Jak immediately leaned against a wall and slid down, hissing in pain as he clenched his fists. "Alright Sake, Grab my elbow and wrist."

Sake swallowed, heart immediately racing. "Like this?" She gripped each in either hand.

"Yes. Now I'm going to lie back. Put your boot here." He pointed to his armpit. "Pull on my arm, slow and gentle." He said, face red as he sweated profusely.

"Okay.." She swallowed again, visibly nervous as she did as told. He breathed in sharply when she began pulling, almost yelping in pain when the joint finally slid back into its socket with an audible pop. Once done, she sighed heavily and Jak laid there, just panting.

"That wasn't so bad." He said with a laugh, then sat up while grunting loudly.

"Don't ever make me do that again!" Sake shrieked, hands shaking.

"You alright Jak?" Daxter said, head tilted.

"Yeah. Not the first time that shoulder's been messed up. I'll be fine. Lets get going before someone finds us here." Jak finally stood, rolling his shoulder with a wince. Sake was pretty sure he shouldn't be doing that, but if he knew his limits, she supposed he'd be fine.

"Agreed." With that, they set off back into the crowds, away from the corpse which was already drawing attention. A scream pierced the air, but the teens were already long gone.

A few blocks more and they found themselves in a dead end courtyard with a large aging tent tucked into the corner. The smells of incense and spice were rich in the air as the morning meandered into afternoon, bringing with it the unpleasant heat that settled over Haven like a plague. Bending a little, the teens entered the tent and soaked in the sights.

Daxter couldn't hide his curiosity as he prodded the body of a colorful monkaw hung from a wooden pole. "Cool, check out all the dead stuff!" Then the Ottsel yelped as the not-dead animal reached forward and snapped at his hand.

"Touch the goods again, Rat-Boy, and you'll be-ARRWWK, counting with your toes!" With a beat of its colorful wings, the monkaw flitted over to land in the large bowl shaped hat the artifact of a woman sitting in the center of the tent wore. "I am Pecker!"

Sake and Jak had to clench their jaws to swallow back the laughter. Daxter's face looked like it was about to crack as yet another grin parted his lips.

"Yes, I know. My mother- She was.. very vindictive." Pecker looked to the side, beating his finger-like feathers together thoughtfully. "I am Onin's interpreter!"

Onin was much older than either Jak or Sake had anticipated. She could have easily been more than a hundred, looking like little more than a skeleton with thin paled skin stretched over it. What wasn't almost white was speckled with dark age spots and moles while whatever skin was left hung lazily from her face, arms and.. chest. Sake tried her best not to gawk. Either way, this woman was certainly old enough to know what they needed to know.

Suddenly Onin clapped her hands together and a vivid blue light spread out like glittering dust. Then she waved her hands around, making symbols. "Onin welcomes you, blah blah blah blah- The usual boring salutations.. She says it is good to see you again Jak."

"But we've never met before." Jak scowled.

"Before- After, it is all the same." Pecker continued, glaring when Daxter interrupted them.

"Oh, Oh! Let me try! She wants a... A Yakkow bone! A Yakkow bladder?! No, No! I got it! For many moons.. she has waited for.. a juice pop? A Jewel shop?! Oh oh, I know! She has a hairball! A hair-lip? A hairy chest?!" Meanwhile, Pecker flew closer and landed on an old crate, crossing his wings elegantly.

"Close, but no!" he said with a flourish, monkey-like tail flicking and curling. "Onin says you seek answers about-AWWRRRRRK- the Tomb of Mar.." Onin waved a hand and the same yin and yang symbol from before now etched itself in the air out of fine points of blue light.

"So what do we need to know?" Sake asked, sounding at least a little intrigued.

Pecker squinted, as if trying to understand what Onin was saying. "She's going on and on about mystical energy channels, evil curses, stupid 'whoooooo' crap." The monkaw raised both wings into the air, waving the feathers about like a ghost. "But forget all that! I'm going to sum this up quickly because now you're cutting into my siesta time!"

Sake wondered why the hell a talking monkey-bird from a fictional-but-real world was speaking Spanish.

"Onin wants you to recover three artifacts from the Precursor Mountain Temple. Not two, not four- THREE." Onin signaled with her fingers. "Use the warp-gate at the northwest side of the City and bring back the three items you find." Pecker drifted over and once again landed in the woman's hat, folding his wings. Jak, Daxter and Sake turned to leave.

"Sake. Before you go. Onin has a question. Have you been displaced? She says her connection to you is weak, as if only part of you were here."

Sake froze in place, turning stiffly. Jak narrowed his eyes at her curiously. She couldn't think of anything to say in her defense, though the look on her face said volumes. Everything was silent, except for the sounds of bartering at a nearby stall. With a sigh, she turned and pushed passed Jak. He immediately grabbed her arm, looking her intently in the eyes but she pulled loose and stormed off into the crowds.

Not one to be blown off, Jak sprinted after her and took a firm grip on her shoulders. Sake tried to jerk lose again but he held fast and firm against her throws.

"Let go of me!"

A surge of violet energy crawled along her shoulders, sending a shock into Jak's hands. He yelped in surprise and pulled his hands back to nurse the sting. Sake took two steps backward as her eyes darted side to side nervously.

"No, Sake, wait, please!" Jak called to her as she turned and took off into the crowds but his calls were lost in the humid early evening air.

"Just let her go buddy. Must be 'that time of the month', or something. Heh." Daxter remarked more sarcastically than he meant it to sound, for once only to cower obediently under the searing glare from the blond renegade. With a sheepish grin and a disheartened laugh, the Ottsel clammed up tighter than a virgin.

"Of course she chose the worst time to run off. I need her for this temple shake-down. Dax, do you know where she'd go?"

"Huh? Oh.. Uh.. well, Um.. Sake told me not to say anything to you or Torn but.. She's been visiting Tess every so often." Daxter seemed to shrink on Jak's shoulder, tail curled around his ankles with his long ears flat against his skull, the still nervous smile parting his lips. He expected Jak to rip him a new one for withholding that kind of information.

"Where at?" The Ottsel wasn't sure if Jak's calm demeanor was alarming or relaxing; the blond's expression was almost unreadable.

"The HipHog. Tess took a job there to spy on Ole' Tub o' Butter-WOAH!" Before Daxter could brace himself on Jak's pauldron, Jak had taken off with a fire lit under his feet, all the while scanning the crowd for any signs of Sake.

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><p><strong>AN: Chapter 15 and 16 will be up in a few weeks at the latest, once I have updates written for CC and MIB again. I may also work in an update for Born For This. I also have two new stories in the works- a one shot that was supposed to be for a Halloween JnD Contest on Deviantart that I missed the deadline for by a longshot, and a crossover between JnD and Mass effect(No Sake, sorry, tho she'll have a cameo as she does in most of my work!)**

**So be on the lookout for all of that! See you then!**


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